As The Raven Cries The Lily Prays
by ReiraChanXD
Summary: The first time he saw her she was painfully oblivious to his presence, the second she was already naked. A band of gold binds the man who never loved and the woman who swore to never love again.
1. White abyss

AS THE RAVEN CRIES THE LILY PRAYS

Listening to the low thrum of music breeze through my ears, my mind fluttered brushing through random memories, fragments making their way through, passing by like on a motorway – flashing once then flying by. Memories of my first day as a ninja, of the time I saw Naruto again 3 years later, the time I saw Sasuke again 3 years later, the time Naruto left again, then most of all, the time it all ended. All the memories blew by so fast, as it played out like a movie. But wasn't it like that with everything else in my life all moving by so fast? It's always been hard to stop and catch a breath.

* * *

As Sakura sauntered through the still sleeping village of Konoha, she enjoyed the familiar beat of her favourite soundtracks and instrumentals ease through, relaxing her, taking her to her own mental haven.

Despite being the fresh teen she was (if 19 could be called "fresh" that is), Haruno Sakura hated nothing more than the irritating whine of songs. She hated them with such a passion; she'd avoid all music stores streets, even opting for a longer path just to avoid it at times. All songs were about love, if not, about heartbreak, or affairs, or lust, at the end of the day it all revolved around love and if it wasn't about love, it would be about some next bullshit that wouldn't make a difference to her or frankly the world. Simply put she found it displeasing, _there's got to be more to life that all that bull crap,_ she thought.

It was not that Sakura had any bad memories or prior experiences that made her feel that way, it was simply that she could not understand how these flimsy, spineless girls walk around with their heads in the skies dreaming about love and listening to stupid songs.

She sighed, _I'm not in love and I'm certainly happy._ It was not love Sakura objected to, but more the idiots that get so lost in it, simply put - everything a song sings about.

Close to her destination, Sakura switched off the soothing sounds, returning them to their sleeping place in her hip pack as she took a deep breath, straightening herself and walking up the familiar red stairs of the hokage tower.

Tsunade sat in her usual place, with her usual cup of tea and the usual scenery spreading out behind her, the only thing unusual that morning was the mission she was about to give to Sakura.

Then came 3 gentle raps against the withered door.

"Come in"

Sakura entered, closing the door behind her, and made her way to her usual spot in front of her master's desk. She bowed a short bow before she lifted her head again to look at Tsunade with a perplexed look on her face.

"Good morning Shishou, what have you got for me today?"

"Good morning to you too", she paused, "I'm not sure how to get this out, but I have a very important mission for you", Sakura's eyes brightened in excitement, "Now I'm sure you can guess I'm not all that willing to give it to you, however with Naruto in training and you being an elite and all, I don't really feel I can give it to anyone else"

"Shishou, you know I'm more than willing"

Sakura listened intently, nodding along in tune with the information that was being relayed to her as she absorbed the details of her next mission.

She was to capture and bring back rouge ninja, apparently called the "White shadow". If she couldn't capture him, she was to assassinate him. Furthermore, no matter the circumstances the preservation of her life was the most important.

It was certain that the ninja she was to catch was of Jounin level, however, how much above that was the uncertain part. Nevertheless this was an A-Rank mission and of that Tsunade was sure. Sakura was to lay in wait on the border of the fire country to ambush this man. There had been Intel that he was to cross the border within the next few days, heading for Konoha, thus he was to be stopped immediately.

Despite the fact that this was a high ranking mission, concerning a very dangerous man, no matter how much she avoided it, Tsunade couldn't help but face the facts that Sakura was well and able enough to take this mission, and by her self at that. It was just hard with the motherly instinct to protect that she felt towards Sakura.

However she couldn't deny the fact that Sakura had changed in the last few years, she had grown, losing that ever sweet innocent touch she had, replacing it with a cold hearted demeanour, that she only ever let down in front of her closest ones. Nevertheless, when she faced her enemies, Tsunade could honestly say she had never seen a bloodthirsty killer worse than Sasuke, yet she knew that had changed, with the face of Sakura, as she had experienced not so long ago.

Pulling back from her reverie, Tsunade looked over Sakura, feeling warmth as a mother would to her child. She sighed. Tsundere. Just how she herself had ended up, but perhaps even more ruthless and apparently uncaring than she had been.

"Sakura", she said sternly, "You are only to lay there in wait for 3 days and no more, if you breech this deadline by even a second there will be ANBU squads looking for you…hmmm", thinking over her words for a brief moment, she restated her plans "No, if its someone you can't defeat, then surely they wouldn't be able to either. Very well then, if you do not return I shall send Naruto to assist you."

Mention of Naruto coming to assist Sakura shocked her, all traces of excitement gone, thinning her eyes to slits in anger and worry.

"But you can't! Shishou, he's in training, this is very important to him!" _And to me_, she thought inwardly.

"And so are you" she replied simply, both knowing it was true. Naruto had looked after Sakura in so many ways, being the everlasting friend she needed, the brother she had always longed for. And that was what Naruto felt too, never would he be able to hold a romantic feeling to her, after all they had been through together, they were much too close to go there now.

Sakura nodded to her, walking forward to gather the maps that had been drawn up for her, in essence, grateful for the get a way.

Holding the maps, Sakura retreated a few steps to bow. "Thank you Shishou, I shall leave immediately." And with that Sakura disappeared into the air with a puff of smoke.

Reappearing on the street below, Sakura walked towards her apartment, scanning over the maps in her hands.

Planning out what she would pack as she entered her apartment. Small as it was, it was her little home. The one place she belonged.

Pushing against the face of the old door, it creaked open as Sakura picked up her mail, walking inside on her way.

Dumping the pile of useless junk mail on her small desk that resided next to her bed, she slid off the usual gear. Her usual gear being, a long sleeved black cheongsam lined with red, which she wore to mid-thigh length, accompanied by a pair of Lycra black shorts that stopped just above the knee. She then reached to unwind the lengths of bandage which she wrapped around her calves, a pointer which she got from her sensei. After all was off, including her mid-calve boots, and her long hair was down, Sakura showered and still dressed in her robe took a 2 hour rest which she would need if she were to be up scouting the next 3 days. However despite that being her mission, it wasn't her plan. _I'll finish this in one day only and I can do what the hell I like_, she thought as she relished in the idea of a much needed vacation.

2 hours later…

Pulling on her shin and arm guards, she placed her short leather gloves in her hip pouch along with some other essentials, then draped the long string holders that held on to the sheath's of her katana, one over each shoulder.

Prepared, after memorising the maps she headed off to the border of the fire country.

* * *

1196, 1197, 1198, 1199, 1200… 1200 minutes now, that's 20 hours, Sakura did the mental calculation with ease.

She had been counting the 1200 minutes that she had been waiting, in the same place, the same spot and the same position for 20 hours. She sighed, resigned night had come and gone and now dawn was stretching over the murky green she sat in. Exhausted, she let out her legs from under her and lay back on the soft dewy grass. She winced at the wetness, thinking that she wouldn't be surprised if she found dew had collected on herself through the endless night of wait.

Endlessly bored, Sakura decided to scan the perimeter, _as a useless precaution_, she thought. Closing her eyes from the position she lay in, she gathered Chakara, enclosing herself in it and creating threads from it, then letting them fan out in all directions hoping for a disruption. And she found one. Her eyes opened wide in surprise as she flew up into a sitting position, gathering more Chakara and checking again. She was right. A very distinctive type of Chakara was headed her way, how strong it was, she couldn't tell from such a distance, but he was at least 5 miles away and it would take him a while to reach Sakura.

So Sakura jumped up, regaining her balance from the mild head rush and body aches, she scanned her area, preparing her self and jumped up to the high branch of a tree that resided just above her.

Where she had been camping out all night overlooked a small green clearing in which she intended to have her face of with the so called "White shadow"; it was wide enough and the tree she was perched upon gave her perfect view of the area. If Sakura was anything, it was prepared. She hated, more than anything, being caught in those unprepared moments of confusion.

She waited there, knowing she would have a good 20 minutes before this person would come anywhere near her zone.

Sakura held her stance, standing in a half crouch, with her right hand on the hilt of one of the katana resting on her back and the other in front of her, balled in a fist and charged with chakara. She stood ready to lunge, her eyes narrow, focusing on the prey that she couldn't yet see but could feel with ever other sense in her body, her chakara concealed yet on full damage, she monitored every single movement her target made, every breath he took, every step he made, any interruptions on the way, all she could feel, hear, smell and sense with every ounce of her being.

As Sakura concentrated intently on what she could now tell was a man, she was beginning to decipher aspects of his being, such as the way his ligaments moved with his walk, gave an indication to immense speed, the way his eyes narrowed at things she knew were far away, and most of all his distinct chakara taste, the smell, taste and tenor to it was unique and rather peculiar, she could tell from the strength of it and by how well he kept it under control that his domain was chakara manipulations and his main techniques were likely to based of that, there fore she deducted he was probably a genjustu user or specialised in certain ninjustsu's.

Sakura began forming a plan in her mind, an order in which to ambush this man all based of spilt seconds assumptions of which were all decided upon by a few bodily indications.

Despite this as a medical-nin she was sure, and tackling him would simple and most of all fun. Nothing says fun like a bowl full of kick ass, she smirked to herself at the idea, basking in the heat of the impending moment, and relishing the shivers of excitement it sent coursing through her.

"Having fun, stalker"

A low dark voice, echoed in her ear, pulling her from the reverie which she was so deep in. Sakura was so deep in her prey, so lost in it, she didn't even hear anyone approaching, let alone feel, someone come up right behind her, enough so that their bodies were touching, body heat mingling, and he was able to whisper low in her ear.

A shiver crawled its way along Sakura's spine. Within in the second she heard that voice and felt that chakara, she knew it was a member of the Akatsuki standing behind her and she knew that member was Uchiha Itachi.


	2. Slumber

A muted scream left Sakura's lips as her hand dropped from its place on her katana and the chakara that flared in her left hand now flared all around her. She spun on her heal so fast that when she came to a stop, she had to spread her arms out and try to regain her balance on the small walking space of the tree trunk, that now supported the weight of two people.

"HOLY CRAP! YOU SCARED THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF ME!" Sakura's right hand was now on her thudding heart as the shock washed through her. He had very literally scared her, for lack of use of better word, shitless. In so many ways she hadn't been expecting this.

Itachi couldn't prevent the small laugh that escaped from his lips at the very un-ninja like reaction, of the kunochi in front of him. She now had her hands on her heart, taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. Her reaction was very unexpected, what he had expected was for her to pull that katana out on to him or ram that hand full of chakara through his chest, however the way she reacted, spinning around without a second thought and looking him square in the face, then blaming him for scaring her as if it was something so unprecedented. Her reaction was just so… human. It really made him wonder if she was suited for the job of hunting this man down.

Briefly his eyes skimmed over her, noting something familiar within her. It was the hair. And the eyes. He had seen that pink hair and those green eyes somewhere before.

"Haruno Sakura" Itachi stated rather like a question. He had seen her before, he was sure of it, with that Uzumaki Naruto, around 3 years ago, about the time when Sasori was defeated.

"Uchiha Itachi" Sakura replied calmly in a civil response the tone of which rather surprised Itachi. "Nice to meet you"

Sakura then turned around again, now at the edge of the bark, she took a step back and returned to her previous position, ready to pounce on her target, easily dismissing the Uchiha.

It was that. In her tone, it was that, that shocked him the most. The way she spoke to him, she addressed him as a person, not a killer.

_Hmmm_ Itachi mused. _This girl is interesting._ He thought to himself and in fact he was vaguely intrigued.

"Oh aren't you supposed to attack me, you know a shred of glory for your village."

"Na I am good"

"Hmm, how Ironic that you finds it so easy to betray your village while, your little friend works so hard for it" Itachi teased in a bored tone.

Sakura turned around to face the other Uchiha, who showed no sign emotion on his face.

"Itachi" Sakura addressed him informally "Seriously, can you be assed? You see if I finish this guy" she pointed a thumb over a shoulder in her targets direction. "Then that leaves me with one and a half days left, that's vacation time, and you know what's impossible to get in Konoha, vacation time. Where as if I fought with you, well you can guess what that means… no vacation time."

Sakura sighed in exasperation, hoping he would understand where she was coming from and not insist on a fight, because she knew how Akatsuki men liked their fighting. But to Sakura there was nothing worse than pointless bloodshed.

Itachi clearly amused by her drabble and the expression on her face, he decided to play along with it, truth be told he had the time for it as well, because like Sakura was hoping to do, he had finished his assignment early and wasn't expecting to meet up with Kisame in another 2 days.

"So what will you do young kunochi" Sakura's eyes narrowed at the "young" part, maybe feeling up for a fight up after all "are you just going to act like you never laid eyes upon me" he questioned with his eye brows raised in that stoic , uninterested tone of his. _So its hereditary_, Sakura smirked inwardly at his tone.

"Yee…nooo… sort of, so I met a man on my journey, who I have no idea who he is, and I've never seen him before. Look I'm only her to capture this man no one is expecting me to capture an Akatsuki if I see him, it wasn't in the mission description you see." Sakura said with a shrug and a push up of upturned hands.

Sakura seeing him slowly take the bait, and more than anything recognising that he couldn't be bothered for a fight just as much as she was. She just prayed that she would be able to walk away from this smoothly.

"So this will be our little secret…ne" Sakura winked mockingly.

Itachi continued to stare at her with that cold, aloof, expressionless demeanour. Sakura sighed to herself, thinking that he really needed to live a little, because from what she could see, it seemed all there was to his life was bloodshed and murder, though in essence that was what Akatsuki was.

Sakura's eyes furrowed together as she thought about it, and for once feeling the lightest slither of pity for him and his inescapable shit. Then again, Sakura thought, he had dumped himself in that shit pile in the first place.

Returning to face the other way and taking her stance once again, Sakura hoped to finish their conversation with this last line.

"You Itachi, you really need to live a little, take a break, have a vacation…" she suggested, trailing of as she began to refocus on her nearing prey.

The most subtle hint of dark laughter escaped Itachi's lips in those seconds, and Sakura's heart couldn't help thudding in response. Still in her position, Sakura felt Itachi lean forward, his body tight against the back of her in her stance, as the hypnotizing sound left his lips, and breathed onto the nape of her supple neck once again.

"Maybe"

All at once he was gone again, as silently and ominously as he had came, he disappeared into thin air.

"Stupid Uchiha's, and always getting the last word" She muttered to herself, in annoyance.

Nevertheless the words sent Sakura's heart thrumming like a thousand humming birds, as it beat frantically in her chest. She felt nothing for him, but the dark, silky tenor of his voice, arose such a feeling of lust within her, she really had a hard time getting that mysterious voice out of her head and those sweet lips of her neck.

"Focus!" She reprimanded herself, as she finally and gladly left the perch she was upon, to let out on the man she was now facing in the middle of the clearing. Her prey.

The "white shadow" was a rather tall, lean, man in his mid-twenties, he was far developed before his time, yet he was someone Sakura felt she could handle with ease.

Silver shuriken flew by as Sakura tested the waters, measuring the distance, the angle which he refracted at and most of all, his speed. His speed was fairly fast and instantly Sakura drew chakara to her feet, speeding her up, matching his speed.

This man had no idea who he was fighting, or why he was fighting, all he knew, Sakura guessed, was that he better fight well, lest he may not be brought back to Konoha in one piece.

Several rounds passed as kunai clanged, sparks flying as they barely grazed each other, get a nick here and there. After a while both drew back, bouncing away, disturbing the air in their wake. With a distance of approximately 5 meters between them, both began preparing their next move, likewise the next attack would have a bit of a bite from both parties.

Sakura sliding a sleek katana from its sheath on her back, this time opting for only one as she pulled chakara through it and through her, her opponent began drawing chakara all around, to which Sakura guessed was for a ninjustsu which would be instantaneously followed by a genjutsu.

Knowing the first would be a distraction, Sakura prepared to see through it, running chakara over her hands, then feeling as it pulsated through, ready to release.

Her opponent began, his hands moved at a blindingly fast pace that could almost, almost, rival Kakashi, nevertheless she had trained under Kakashi, and his speed was adaptable.

Ox, Monkey, Rabbit, Rat, Boar, Bird, Ox, Horse, Sakura read the hand seals for a water jutsu, followed by those for a lighting jutsu. Her eyes narrowed, he was doing a double jutsu, therefore she would have to create a barrier of defence against it, as to prevent it, and during that time he would capture her in a genjutsu. All was just a hunch, nothing was concrete about Sakura's predictions yet she would act on them, because that's what she had been trained to do; trust her instincts, that they were right.

Fine, Sakura thought, bring it on, if I can't defend it, I'll just take it head on.

Stringing along a few hand seals of her own, fire encased Sakura like a warm blanket, in response. She charged forward the burning inferno flickering around her, licking the ground underneath, brushing it away, as it proceeded to enclose her katana within it too, till it was hot as molten iron.

As she lunged forward, dragging hell and all with her, towards a waterfall, glazed with currents of electricity, she could have sworn on everything she owned that she felt Itachi somewhere in the vicinity, and for a fraction of the smallest second, her eyes flickered to where she felt it.

Was it possible, to then blame her captivation, on him as a distraction.

Before Sakura knew it, the staggering water flooded her, tugging, pulling, taking her to hell, as hundreds of volts coursed through her system, shocking with such power she felt like there was venom, cold and hard spreading through her veins, dragging blades across them, in that sharp stinging sensation, with that aftertaste of a bitter tingle.

Without time to stop it, she was caught. Robbed of all senses and shoved in to a dark, white abyss with no end, she heard, felt, saw, smelt, tasted none. Nothing. Everything was just a vast white void of nothingness, and a brief taste of fear rippled through her, as she remembered being trapped in a similar place once before. This white hell. That dehydrated her of everything needed to survive.

Sakura dragged in a long, deep breath, letting it filter her system, as she repressed disturbing memories, instead focusing on the pain of her body crying in disapproval as her body heaved with each breath's movement.

Chakra. Logic sifted through Sakura's conscience, searching for ways to annul this hold on her mind which was threatening to drag her to oblivion.

While she was sure her opponent was preparing to attack, or was moving to attack at that very instant, Sakura started on her defence. Placing her hands on the ground, or what seemed like it, Sakura closed her eyes from the blank whiteness in front of her, to replace it with darkness, as she strained to wrench every drop of chakara from every depth of her internal and external body.

Upon feeling the blue, static power surge within her, focusing hard, she stretched them all in too long, thin threads, after which she spread them out, as far and wide as she possible could, though she didn't know what was what at the moment, she tried to cover what expanse she could with the limited Intel on what the hell was going on.

Soon enough a trip reverberated along the length of her thread echoing till she felt it along her palms where the threads emitted from.

A thin, cruel smile spread itself across beautiful Sakura's face, the smile of a lion catching its prey.

"It's over" She thought.

Just as her opponent shot forward, casting a white shadow Sakura couldn't see, preparing to end it, a blade thrust straight towards her, directed towards upper breast. Her heart. With no sigh of interjection. Less than a millimetre away from her heart, so close that she surface skin pierced and blood trickled down, when the blade fell to the ground , landing with a thud that Sakura could hear.

Standing up once again, all hell froze over, as everything was clear again. White was no longer black and black was no longer white.

Sakura smiled as she extracted the long, shining and most of all burning katana, glittered with blood from the lower abdomen of her opponent.

As far as opponents go, I've won. Sakura thought to herself, sheer with pride.

Replacing the glorious sword in to its casing, Sakura stretched out her body, shaking off the burns, and soreness within and throughout.

Sighing in annoyance, Sakura bent down once more, doing the one thing she hated. Bringing her prey back to life. She placed her hands over the wound and it began slowly closing, yet she didn't not heal it enough so that it doesn't hurt, no she would let the pain stay and linger bright in its full glory, as a means of pay back.

Soon the drug like essence to Sakura's chakara washed over the man, as he slipped into involuntary unconsciousness.

"Finally", Sakura said aloud, as she tied up the man, and placed a double lock in the form of one of her chakara threads on top of the binding, assuring no escape. With that, and the remaining chakra inside her, Sakura literally pinned a note to the man saying "Mission accomplished" and transported him to the hockages office in the form of a summoning technique.

Walking along the muddy path, towards the small get-away village Sakura knew was nearby, she stretched and rubbed at her sore muscles and grazed soft skin , before clicking her creaking bones that grated against each other, due to being expelled to the force of the currents that had tore so violently through her young body.

A smile spread its self across Sakura's lips as the small village she was headed for came into sight. She had scanned the maps earlier on in search of any small villages nearby and luck had it there was one. Luck also had it that it was a small, secluded village hidden in the think underbrush of the large forest that surrounded it. It was a village with the rare shinobi, that never saw a fight escalate more than a disagreement over "who stole the candy". Simply put it was the sweet little village that smelt of mama's homemade cooking.

The small village that resided between the borders of the two countries, was a common get-away, where all that entered would leave their name and faces behind, taking over the role of a nobody for once, and that was what Sakura adored most about this new found village; everyone was equal.

Upon entering the village, without even a single worried-glance headed her way, Sakura spotted a small wooden bathhouse only ½ a mile in. Steamed emitted and rose above in a swirling cloud from the back baths, gesturing for her to enter, practically dragging her in.

The old doors squealed open, as Sakura pattered in the old dingy building. She checked in for the highest priced deluxe suite, with the old, smiling lady at the front desk.

"I apologize, um…" She trailed of expecting a response

"Sakura" She smiled warmly at the old woman, unable to help liking the kind little lady.

Smiling wider in response, she proceeded.

"I apologize Sakura-san our other deluxe suite on the first floor is booked, thus I'm afraid the downstairs one is the only available" A look of honest remorse clouded the woman's features.

"Oh, no, no it's fine, I really don't mind" Sakura smiled, accepting the keys, and paying half upfront in advance.

As the sound of Sakura's footsteps padding along, echoing along the long corridor, the voice of the old woman calling out from her desk floated over above the noise.

"Lovely name"

"Thanks" Sakura smiled with a wave, already enjoying her 'vacation'.

Sliding the door to her suite open Sakura took in her surroundings. Where she stood at the foot of the door upon entering the room, she faced a rather large, empty room save for a low dining table accompanied by a set of cushions and a shelving unit which held a rather outdated TV.

On either side of the room there was a set of double sliding doors. To the left of her, the large doors took up most of the wall and led to a small room, with a double futon and a small dresser. To the right of her there were two sets of doors both half the size of those on the left side. The first set of doors led to a small bathroom, whilst the other led to a mini kitchen.

Perfect, Sakura Sighed.

Unloading and unravelling in the small bedroom, Sakura headed straight for a nice hot shower, taking with her a plain blue yakuta with lilac lilies from the dresser in her room.

After her 10 minute, rather-cold shower, Sakura lounged on the large cushions in the main room, as she used the small room phone to call for food service.

When the food finally arrived, the server knocked on the door before Sakura let out a "come in", in a rather hushed tone. A young man dressed in a red yakuta, stepped in holding two trays brimmed full of food set for one yet enough to feed to. After walking forward and placing the plates on the bare table the young man, stood back a few paces to bow, as he rose from his position, he looked at Sakura for the first time, taking in her long, still-wet, pink hair, and slender body covered by a plain yakuta, paling in comparison to her as it hung lightly over her stretched out form.

Blush coloured the innocent male's cheeks as he hurried out the room, flushed all over.

Sakura smiled, flattered by his reaction, yet not unused to the attention.

Stuffed from the full course meal of, sashimi, rice, onigiri, miso soup, picked vegetables and desert of her all time favourite; dango, Sakura slipped into the soft comfort of the feather like double futon and almost instantly drifted into a sweet slumber, that lasted till the sun went down and the darkness of the night took over the clear, unsuspecting, blue sky.

Narrow, faint rays of moon light filtered through the thin, rice paper windows of the small room Sakura slept in. Stretching out under the smooth, body-hugging duvet, contentment of sweet slumber settled through her, leaving her in a happy rather jovial mood.

Pacing around the sound room, Sakura took a brush through the now dry, mess that was her hair. As it smoothed out into waves and loose curls, she hunted through the dresser for a towel and bathrobe.

Dropping the crumpled yakuta as it flooded the floor around her, she slipped on the light, almost see-through white fabric, of the bathrobe she had found. Placing the long, fluffy towel over her arm, Sakura headed for the public onsen that had welcomed her not so long ago, at the back of the inn.

The quaint sound of Sakura's almost-silent footsteps echoed around the empty hall, of the now sleeping inn. As she ended the hall and passed through a set of doors, the wave of humidity hit her before she turned the corner another walkway leading to the onsen.

A pair of tall, wooden, sweating doors beckoned Sakura through them as she eased them aside entering the small changing room in front of the onsen.

As she entered she looked around the small room, to the left of the room a set of long box sized, shelves lined up against the left wall with empty baskets in each slot, to the right a rack of hooks covered the white tiled walls.

The floor underneath Sakura's feet was an expanse of stone tiling, warm and wet, making her shift from one foot to the other, before she got used to the sensation. The heavy steam breezing in from the two open doors at the other end of the room circulated her, as she disturbed the air in her wake. The air was pungent with a sweet aroma, and the steam clung to Sakura, causing her bathrobe to stick to her.

Mere seconds passed by as Sakura basked in her surrounding, before the presence of another disturbed her. Having paused for no more than a second, Sakura casually walked forward, recognising the unsettling presence.

As she walked forward through the open doorway at the end of the room she passed, the one person she did not expect to see, yet she did not allow his presence to faze her. Turning to face him, at the very moment he faced her, the regarded each other, acknowledging each other's presence in that split second moment, as they looked over one another, each so far from their very own.

Sakura couldn't help but marvel at the long, toned torso of the older Uchiha. The top part of his yakuta lay hanging from the band that held it all together at his waist. He began sliding the loose arm holes on, as Sakura watched the movement of his hard, firm muscles flex underneath a thin layer of cold, soft, white skin, marred by the rare scar, yet covered all over by trails of water that slid along the length of his strong abs. Sakura watched as the water moved till the sleeves came over and his chest became hidden behind the front of the long pale blue yakuta he wore.

The yakuta closed over the front yet still revealing a healthy amount of skin, Sakura's eyes drifted further up towards his sleek black hair, still in its usual pony, yet loser with a few stray strands, all of which were now dripping with streams of water. Last her eyes laid upon the dark endless expanse that were his eyes, both focused ahead, taking in all the emotion that they could never show, before flicking back to what was in front of her and moving on ahead.

At this point Sakura must seem like a pervert, however the whole moment had taken place in no more than the few seconds it took for Itachi to slide on the remaining area of his yakuta, in that same aloof manner. His eyes did not face Sakura whilst he did it, too unfocused to notice his surroundings.

Despite this, when Sakura walked forward towards the wide bath, his attention was fully caught by the swift swishing movement of her long pink hair and slender form.

Itachi turned half around to watch, as Sakura stood at the foot of the bath, and without hesitation, pulled the tie holding her robe and let the thin silk float to the ground at her feet. In the second before she took that step into the warm, steaming water, Itachi took in the length of the back of her naked form. His eyes trailed her smooth pink hair, along her toned back, where is strayed longer than others, focusing on the intricate tattoo, of a black, red and gold dragon that wound its way up from the small bottom of her back where the tail lay, up between the valley of her soft shoulder blades till the very point between her neck and back where the head of the dragon lay. The dragon lay surrounded by small pink flowers dotted here and there across her back. Itachi couldn't help appreciate such beauty, complimented by such a young supple back. Finally his eyes crossed over the back of her long slender legs, before they flickered to her back once again where the moonlight glinted off, accentuating it with a silver sheen.

By the time Sakura had lifted her foot to step into the water, Itachi had already turned around and started walking again, sliding open the doors, involuntarily shivering as the cool breeze of the corridors hit him, sending a trail of goose bumps across his skin. As he closed the door behind him he heard the fain splash of water as Sakura's feet left the ground and collided with warm water instead.

The water enveloped her with a gushing furry of warmth, smoothing out her tensed and grazed muscles, sending shivers of pleasure along her spine. She lay there still, her breath held and her back arched as the burning sensation took over her body from head to toe, leaving the surrounding water is a mass of bubbles and her long cherry hair encircling her in a halo of blossoms.

However the second Itachi closed that door, and the instant Sakura hit the water, the small exchange between them had all but vanished from both their memory.

Never would either one, even begin to think of the instance, till it be so almost a year later.

* * *

A/N: This is kinda like ment to be a sorta prologue, i basically wanted some history, and some info on what the chars are like so things would make more sense in future chapters. The next chapter will hopefully be like a maiin sorta chap and will start the whole story off.

Also thank you soooo much for the kind reviews it makes me so happy, and makes me want to keep writing and uploading. I will try to have at least a chapter a week, thou it seems long, the chapters will be long. Also it takes aggesss for me to do the editing because I cant spell to save my life _

Lastly i feel like some phrases i use dont actually make sense, so if nything is wrong, misspelt, or absolute jiberish plz do tell :D


	3. Frozen blossom

Wrenching her door open, almost ripping it off its hinges, and practically flying down her apartment stairs, Sakura ran frantically down the busy and bustling streets. She found herself bumping into people more and more frequently in her less-than-sane-and-oh-so-late-run.

Since slowing down time was impossible, Sakura went for the closest alternative – speeding herself up, as she opted for a quicker route, via the rooftops of the busy street, leading all the way to the branches of trees in the heavy greenery, that was the training grounds of Konoha.

Finally making it, only 11 minutes late, Sakura having slowed her pace down, was breathing hard, in huffs and puffs as she walked over to a still sleeping Naruto.

Kicking his sprawled-out form, Naruto slowly opened one eye to look at a rather-sweaty, pink-haired woman. A large grin pulled up the corners of the blonde's mouth, as he smiled up at her, noting her lateness. Never in a billion years, did he think he would swap places with Sakura, in the form of her being late and him on time for once.

Then again, time changes people.

"Sakura-chan, you made it in record time, only 3 minutes from your apartment to here, surely that's gotta break some kinda bloody record." Naruto smiled widely as he sat up of the ground, feeling proud of his oh-so-speedy best friend.

"A…a…um… how did, you guess" Sitting on the grass next to him blush coloured her pale cheeks as she looked away in embarrassment from being found out.

Placing a light hand on her pink hair, he slowly ruffled it, before he gave in and gently hugged her.

"Because you are Sakura-chan, and Sakura – chan always wakes up at 8:30 no matter the occasion". Naruto explained, chuckling as he said it.

Despite their weird, sitting-hugging position, it was warm and comfortable, always something soothing that was their home to return to, because for these two people who had been through so much, it wasn't the place that made home for them, it was the people.

"Sorry for making you wait" She muttered against his shoulder, chagrin evident in her voice.

If it were possible for Naruto's smile to go any wider at that point, trust me it would have. As the giddy feeling spread through him, he softly rubbed Sakura's back, glad that at least he was one person she would let her guard down in front of, because Naruto knew more than anything that she wouldn't show this side to anyone, ever, not in the way she was now; devote of any feeling of love, save for those of affection and brotherly adoration she felt to Naruto, and those of respect and care towards her master and sensei, lastly the lighter ones towards her friends.

However that was all, any person who saw Sakura on a mission, and then saw how she was with her friends, would not be able to put two and two together, despite the look being the same the personality was wholly different.

Eventually breaking the hug, Naruto stood, stretching and clicking his back, he raised his eyebrows beckoning Sakura on, with a challenging smile.

Standing up and facing him, with a tender smile resting upon her lips, she took her stance, ready to fight.

All the same, despite the stance she took, she still needed that ounce of reassurance from Naruto.

"You sure this is ok? Should you really be doing this, wasting this time on me when you should be getting ready?" Worry evident in her voice.

"Sakuraaa- chaan" He replied, dragging the words out as he charged forward. "Didn't I tell you already? Its… OK" At the last exaggerated word Naruto thrust one balled fist charged with chakara forward, towards her lower abdomen.

One bright complacent smile, replaced the worry etched on Sakura's sweet face. Relief evident as it shined in the early morning light, showing that rare show smile, revealing true, natural beauty, in those second before she disappeared, just narrowly avoiding Naruto's killer fist.

"Ohhh look who is getting good" Naruto said into the vast emptiness of the training grounds, with mock admiration, part of which was true, as his words trailed over to Sakura at her hiding place in the think underbrush surrounding the training grounds.

"Hoo, you aint seen nothing yet" A fake gangster tone ripped Sakura's voice as flew forward, kunai in both hands aiming for the clueless blondes growing hair.

Oblivious to the attack, and looking like he was going to take it, a wide grin crossed Naruto's face as he turned around, grabbing her wrists, countering it.

And so the games began.

The usual half-serious half-playful training that Sakura and Naruto had almost every day went on as usual, despite their arrangements for the rest of the day, it was something they always, without fail, did. They relied on each other, improving each other to the point they were at now, almost flawlessly the best.

Their breathless pants soon filled the area, as the dust soon began to settle down, with the sun rising to its midday peak. Both paces away from each other, tired and sweating, they regarded each other with the same look, acknowledging the same thing, each waiting for the other to admit to it.

Sighing Naruto straightened his posture and relaxed his shoulders, finally being the one to give in.

"We should get going about now don't you think"

Feelings of resignation were evident in his demeanour, however the overwhelming feeling of shock was what pertained Sakura. She hadn't expected him to be the one to give in, it was always her, being the one to give in and get back to work. Then again, Sakura thought with unease today was the day Naruto had been waiting for his whole life, change was inevitable.

Walking back, too soon they had to part, each going their own way, leaving Sakura alone to wonder the entire journey home, whether they would ever be able train like they always did after today.

After all today would be the day when things would change, and despite the excitement and pride she felt for Naruto there was also that glimmer of worry, that life as it was would never be the same.

Back In her apartment, she shrugged away the pessimistic ideology, stripped her clothes and headed for a nice cold shower, hoping to dilute her thoughts and clear away her perspiration from the long , hard training session.

Wrapping herself in a nice fluffy towel, she riffled through her large closet, in search of what she knew was hiding somewhere. After a good 10 minutes of searching, she happened upon the blessed thing. Pulling out the one occasional outfit she owned yet had never worn before, she held it up against the direction of light, and gazed over it in admiration. Thinking over it, it really had been a good buy, despite her worry at the time that she would have no occasion to bless it with, or the more self-conscious worry that it wouldn't suit her.

Running her hands over the luscious silk upon her body, she marvelled at the beauty of such an outfit. It was a long knee length cheongsam, made from black silk with the decorum of the outline of a marvellous silver dragon, which began from the bottom of the dress, winding itself all the way round, right to the top. Her favourite aspect of it was how it fit so harmoniously with the tattoo on her back that no one would ever see, despite that, the feeling of being able to bask in such beauty always settled her and reminded her of how blessed she really was.

There were slits on either side of the dress which ran up all the way to just above her thighs and bordered along the line of her hip bones, thus in any normal situation her usual black, lycra shorts were required, however today she had no intention of going on any mission or getting it to any fights unless needs be. Upon deciding to chance it, she rummaged through her drawers once more, soon finding a pair of fish-net tights, which perfectly showed of her cream, elongated legs, which she was conclusively proud of.

After slipping on a thin, black cardigan, she dried and brushed the tangles of her blush-coloured hair till it was fell in perfect curls and waves along her back. Reluctantly she pulled it tight into a high bun, wound by a long red ribbon, and stuck one pink and one black chop stick in for decoration. Sliding on her long boots, and admiring her natural beauty in her closet mirror, she sighed as she turned to her bed to pick up her weapons, placing a small, inconceivable black pouch in place of her hip pack, filled with a variety of assortments. Then her thigh pouch with her kunai, and lastly she pulled the 2 long silk- ribbon, holders for her katana, one over each shoulder, so that the lay crossed over her back and tight against her body in close reach.

Locking up her apartment she headed down the block stairs and began walking the bright midday streets of Konoha, headings for the large hall that was the ground floor of the hokage tower.

Finally arriving, a slight sigh left her lips as she looked up at the mountain face which bore the monuments of all the previous hockages on it, then she looked at the current construction work being carried out on it, leaving a small sad smile upon her lips.

Taking a deep breath, pushing aside the large, heavy doors of the grand hall, she strode into the place where all important occasions were celebrated, or mourned.

With her head held high, and her should pushed back, there was an air of confidence that radiated with every step she took, leaving few and far between that dared approach her. People were intimated by her, not just by the refinement of her every skill or the capacity of her power, but the perfection that every cell in her body seemed to scream out, and to make things worse there was a cold aura she unconsciously leaked out when around people, due to the strong influence of her assassination missions.

The single man that would dare to approach, in the entire bubbling cloud of people that filled the space, was the one man she knew would always be that "one in a million".

Excusing himself from a conversation with a few very important people, that in any other case with any other person, they would stay to listen due to the endless possibilities and advantages from getting in the good graces of such people, the young man, now the hot topic of everyone in that room and possibly the whole village, advanced towards the snack table, aiming for the pink haired woman, who stood alone, empty glass in hand.

Every head turned as he passed, and upon being subdued to almost every stare in the hall, he finally reached that one that made it an almost.

"Yo, Sakura – channn" Naruto hummed, as he grabbed a plate and shoved on piles of sweets and pastries all mixed with the odd savouries, such as spaghetti and fries.

Getting another plate and shoving it into the hands of the pink headed woman that still wasn't looking at him, he continued to pile on food to that plate, adding all sorts of food, like spaghetti, fries, kebab and even lasagne.

The woman just stared with wide eyes at the overflowing plate laying lightly it her hands, as she felt the weight of it swiftly increase with more food being impossibly piled on.

Naruto just smiled all the while.

"Ne, Sakura – chan, you've got to eat more, your too skinny" he said without a glance her way, as he put his plate down and began filling, or should I say , over-filling, two glasses to the brim with some kind of strange mixture of apple and raspberry juice.

"See, I even got them to make your favourite food – lasagne, because I know how much you love it…" he trailed off, beginning to worry about her silence.

Nevertheless, one winning smile broke out across her face, as she turned towards him, pink hair and all.

"Thank you" She whispered.

"Yeah" he replied in that usual, upbeat, Naruto-tone of his.

Picking up their plates, they headed towards a vacant table in the far corner of the room, all the while, ignoring the endless amount of curious stares headed their way.

As he walked ahead of her Sakura watched the back of her long-term friend, as the long, overflowing white of the hokage gown trailed out behind him and his broad shoulders swayed with the walks movement.

A smile almost instantly broke out as she realised his dream, her dream had finally come true.

Setting down on the small, round marble table and drawing in the heavy, marble chairs, Naruto's mouth was soon full with food as he looked up at a smiling Sakura.

"vvat shou smoolinn foow"

Sakura now laughed at Naruto's failed attempt at coherent Japanese through a mouthful of food.

Nevertheless through many years of experience and training, she understood what he was trying to say, and it just made her smile even more, one sweet tender smile reserved only for her best friend.

"Nothing"

The rare few in the room, who hadn't had enough staring, were the rare few who were able to witness such an event. All who saw were undoubtedly shocked by the unparalleled sweet smile on the 'Frozen blossoms' face. They couldn't fathom that she was able to hold such an expression, though those older ninja and her few friends were able to understand in some way as to how she could, knowing what she was like in the recent past.

Off in a corner, somewhere in another corner, hiding in that corner, Kakashi smiled underneath his mask as he watched their little encounter from some corner across the room.

A content sigh eased through Sakura's lips, as she stretched her arms above her head, folding her hands as she clicked her stiff back. Now walking out the doors of the still bubbling atmosphere, she headed out along the dark empty streets of Konoha.

She'd had enough for one night. After watching the whole ceremony, she had left Naruto to make acquaintances with some important people, she knew he would need, thus she didn't want to worry him by hanging around by herself, neither did she feel like socialising with her now-in-partying-attire ninja friends, so with a kiss upon Naruto's cheek she headed on home.

Naruto did offer to walk her home, though he knew it was a hopeless cause; for one, she was well and truly no match for anyone but 4 people in the entire village and two, she wouldn't let him and he knew it.

Shivering in the cool night's air, Sakura decided to take a short detour in her route home.

Two tall, muscular, male ninja guarded the entrance of where she detoured too. They gave her one glace and swiftly moved aside, knowing very well who she was, and very much wanting to keep their family jewels should they oppose her, further noting the blades kept securely across her back.

She paced silently through the endless corridors, and after passing through a hall of empty cells, at the end of it she arrived at the single occupied one she was looking for.

Jade eyes stared vacantly through metal bars at Sasuke's sleeping form inside the cell.

She didn't think, her mind wasn't working, she was much too tired for that. However the one thought she did manage to muster about her old team mate was a whisper that came out loud in the empty corridors;

"At least he finally looks peaceful"

As she paced away, heading for home, knowing, yet not turning to looking into those sealed eyes, she knew watched her as she walked away.

Passing through a narrow street, still alive with activity, as the clock struck midnight, she sighed maybe going for a bowl of ramen after all. However as she eyed the shop only a few paces away from her, a loud echoing sound stopped her in her tracks.

Coming to a halt, she listened hard, as the breadth of an explosion echoed through, shattering the peaceful night air, reverberating through her body and shaking her very core.

"They knew" her thoughts hissed, as anger encased her very being.


	4. Deadlock

Suddenly alert, she glanced around through slanted eyes, watching as smaller explosions exploded all over Konoha, and fire blazed forth from them.

Turning her glare to the dusty street around her, she spotted random grouping of people, huddled together, screams and whimpers all that escaped from them, as they resounded to panic.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING! RUN, ESCAPE, HEAD TO THE FRIKING MOUTAIN" She screamed at the top of her voice, anger and concern pertaining it all in one go.

The huddles of people, looked up at her, as their cries faded and hope filled their eyes, as they remembered the shinobi of their village, the plans of escape and the areas of safety.

Very soon people started up and began running away, heading to where she had told them, leaving hope in that pink hair shinobi's hands.

After Sakura had picked a young girl up and off-loaded her onto an escaping couple, she headed through the streets, in the direction everyone was running away from, towards the greater sources of fire.

After flooding streets and flying through alleys, she eventually switched to running across the roofs of the now empty houses, ensuring a faster route.

Once she spotted a source of fire, she swiftly eliminated it, using a water jutsu, in a blazingly fast manner. Soon realising the start of these fires were all due to explosive tags attached to kunai, spread about all across the village.

After dousing a more than a dozen different sets of fires, she was soon confronted with the cause of all this havoc.

Anger and resentment, stronger than any other emotion or power in her at that moment coursed through her as she took down one blonde, red and black clock.

Having fought a man belonging to one of the strongest and most dangerous group of people in the shinobi world, she sustained few injuries, especially considering the blonde bastard she fought with like to play with fire, and explosives for that matter.

A few ribs were broken, and she had a few gashes along her legs and arms, there was also a single cut across her left cheek that left blood trailing down her face. Still, she smiled or more like grinned, wide, clear and cruel through the blood as she headed back across the roofs, flitting swiftly away from the blonde corpse.

Standing atop the spire of one very tall building, the wind blowing her fire scathed clothing as it danced in the breeze, the cold air spiked with fiery sparks bit at her, as she looked around at the scene's unfolding beneath her in her beloved village.

Before the wind blew in a different direction, causing her long pink hair, now falling from its bun, to obstruct her vision, she closely observed her surroundings, watching as the black and red clocks flew about everywhere, being pushing to corners or pushing corners, creating masses of destruction in their every wake.

"Akatsuki" She hissed.

One lone cloak caught her attention. It had sprung out of a pall of fire, trailing rivulets of bright red and yellows as it jumped up, landing on one of the roofs far away from her.

And for a while, it just stood there.

Waiting.

Finally Sakura understood, it was waiting for her, expecting her. It wanted her to come to it. It wanted to fight her.

It wanted to kill her.

Cocking her head back, her voice echoed through the fiery night, high-pitched waves disappearing with the wind.

"Bring it" The sound low and dark as she laughed, ripping through the night as the cloak ripped fast through the stagnant misty air towards her.

Heading in herself, she stopped a foot away, noting 'it' to be a 'him'.

Her hands gloved within the instant she came across, slid up from her side, to rest on the handles of her katana. Slowly pulling them out, her eyes narrowing at her opponent, as she let her Chakara drown her in its deep blue electricity.

Then she realised.

It was him.

The two long blades, slid back into place as she let go of them.

Her eye brows raised, as she tilted her head to the side, eying her very dangerous opponent.

"Uchiha Itachi"

"Sakura Haruno"

She laughed, low and short, as she let his dark voice penetrate her, remembering their first encounter to be very similar.

"Why did you let go of your katana? Did you think I wouldn't hurt you" The voice began somewhere across from her but finished as she felt it at her ear.

Dark strands feel across her, as his mouth lay at her ear once again, and one kunai lay at her neck.

"Bullshit"

"Hmm" he dragged out, his tone just barely mocking.

"Different things, for different people"

As she said those last words, she twisted her neck to the side, leaving a slight gap between the blade and her jugular, then threw a hand bared with chakara towards the side of his head. Because she knew, if she took out her blades on him in that first move, it would be just that much easier for him to trap her in those dreaded eyes.

Mere millimetres away from his skull, one free hand came up to stop her, blocking her half away, right before he disappeared into a dark, cloud of black feathers, that scattered away with the wind as she watched them float flutter before vanishing completely, only to reappear again a few feet away from her, and reform the figure of her deadly opponent.

Smirking through the nick at her neck that now trailed rivets of blood, his dark countenance returned the same smirk as he felt the bruise on his arm begin to take place.

And so it began. They went at each other, like only true killers would, seeking nothing short of blood, nothing less than death. Doing the very thing they were trained to do, the very thing they were best at and the very thing they enjoyed the most, drawing blood.

They hacked, slashed, marred and scared each other, Sakura had sustained lacerations to her abdomen, arms , legs, chest and one large across her face, added to that a few more ribs and a few fractures. Any normal human, would be incapacitated with such injuries or at the very least unable to move, however she was a ninja, and such trivial things would never bring her down.

Being his opponent, Sakura couldn't tell the extent of Itachi's injuries, however she could tell those blows which did do damage. She secured one blow to the chest, resulting in few broken ribs and causing a slight gash some place across his torso, there were also bruises to his hands, arms and legs, from blocking her blows, lastly one cut above his left eye bled out, almost obstructing his vision, being less than what she hoped for.

Soon they bounced away from each other, both now standing on opposing buildings, as they calmed their muscles and steadied their breathing.

More than just to her body, Sakura had sustained otherwise damage. For one her treasured cheongsam was in tatters, the trailing end parts were now billowing in the fiery breeze, having been ripped and torn and chunks taken out- the fire had licked at it, and the fights had clawed at it, leaving it a beautiful mess. The black cardigan she previously wore was reduced to a mere, nothing. It remained small strands of black material here and there, yet the main frame of it was long gone, revealing the newly engraved tattoos on her shoulders, where skin wasn't torn, the butterflies danced.

Apart from the outfit she wore, the only other thing that bore holes was her fishnet tights, which she inevitably cursed the world and beyond for deciding to wear, especially since she was fighting this bastard which she couldn't help but not deny the fact that she somewhat wished she hadn't worn tights at all .

Itachi gazed over his pink haired opponent, taking in her tattered clothes, revealing plenty of sweet, pink skin, stained with trails of blood. Noticing the strands of black fabric all that remained from the jacket that previously covered her now revealed, and newly engraved; (compared to the last time he saw) tattoos.

Pink hair falling from her hopeless bun danced with the wind, as his eyes hair travelled along the remnants of the tights that could no longer sufficiently cover the length of her long slender legs; white in the stark moonlight, as they trickled blood from cuts all over. Smirking inwardly at the sight before him, he couldn't help but think; _what a beautiful disaster._

Gazing around at the slowly dying fires of her village, she turned to her opponent again, then towards the sky, sighing with the wind.

Reaching into her hip back, she pulled a pack of cigarettes, drawing one to her lips.

"Want" she held the pack out, offering Itachi, a good 8 feet away.

Eyebrows raised, he chuckled ever so briefly, from that same relaxed position of his, with that same aloof expression.

"No thanks"

"Your loss" she shrugged as a side note, not bothering with pretences, as she began exploring the small expanse of her pockets and packs for a lighter, the cigarette dangling from her lips.

"What is the occasion?"

"Hmm" Sakura looked up from her pockets to look at him inquisitively.

One hand rose from his side, and one finger rose to point at her, gesturing with it up and down along her outfit.

"Oh, um, well isn't it obvious" She replied simply, pointing to the now burning hokage tower.

"Really just for that" he said betraying no sigh of interest what so ever, without even sparing a glance towards the tower.

"Of course"

"Or perhaps it's your birthday?"

"Now look whose the stalker" she replied mockingly, feigning mock shock. "I see those eyes are useful for something else, oh I don't know, say prying" no emotion entered her voice, whether or not he knew she truly didn't care, she wasn't purposely trying to keep it a secret after all, either way at the end of their fight one of them was going to have to die, so it didn't matter in the least.

Sighing, at the little epiphany, that its death either away, pretty much kill or be killed, she told him things that didn't really matter yet made her feel so much better for getting it out there.

"Look its Naruto's day, not mine, and if he knew it would kill him, he would go out of his way to do something, that I don't really need, I mean who needs a party at 20, 20 is the age were you get old, where all the parties end, were you've got to get serious, grow up."

"But you have been serious a lot longer than that though, haven't you."

Slight shock was evident on her face.

Throwing her head back, looking up towards the stars, she racked a hand through her long, tangled, pink hair. Without thinking about it, she already knew her answer.

"Does it matter? Does it really matter? I mean, we have all go to grow up some day, perhaps some earlier than others, but if that 'some' doesn't then who will? Who will lead the way for others to follow and take off on ahead of them?" Inhaling the deep smoky air, she tilted her head back down again to face Itachi once more. "Don't act like that wasn't you once either"

The barest hint of a smile blessed Itachi's lips, and for once in Sakura's life, in those few seconds she witnessed such a thing, she felt it wasn't mocking.

Another explosion interrupted their little moment, blasting hot air and flickers of fire and smoke their way. The look of disbelief stayed on Sakura's face from Itachi's smile throughout the explosion. The sudden mass of explosion did not shock her, it was strange how she had become so accustomed to such a thing, yet after all she had been through she still wasn't accustomed to the smile on a killers face. However the same applied to her, just as she had a hard to getting used to the image of her smiling self in her bedroom mirror.

It was then she realised that she really didn't care, she didn't care whether Itachi died or she died, for once she wanted to relish in the intoxicated feeling of death and the ecstasy of self-destruction, she figured she was damned to hell either way, so what did it matter how she got there or how soon it happened.

Because to both of them, it didn't matter anymore.

Adrenalin shot through her, as she drew her cigarette closer in her mouth with her tongue, and plunged chakra through her hands and feet, all the while, getting into her stance, crouching like a tiger ready to pounce.

That same cruel smile, which did not belong on a bloody angel's face, spread across her lips once more.

"Bring it Itachi, its kill or be killed" She shouted across the distance, her sweet voice, full of a malicious undertone echoing through the dusty air.

"Does life hold that little of significance to you anymore" he questioned, still in that same empty, stoic tone, that only a person like Itachi could keep through such a stimulating exchange.

Upon her lips, the cruelty that lay there broke into a once sweet Sakura smile, as she tilted her head in reply, her position softening with her words.

"It takes a killer to understand a killer, ne Itachi"

And for once, since the time he met her, after hearing her words, he felt he was finally able to understand even just a bit of her.

"Need a light" Changing the subject as there was nothing more to say on it, Itachi's voice began somewhere across from her, and ended in her ear.

Two lean fingers clicked in front of her face and a small flame appeared in between them. It light Sakura's cigarette, as it slowly burned away, the flame between the two fingers spread across his palm, as it moved to lay dangerously close to her neck, close enough for the blood from Itachi's previous slice at her life, to bubble and burn slowly to a crisp.

One other strong hand lay wrapped around the side of her tiny waist, and the moment she felt it there, she knew it wasn't there for decoration, it was there, in the exact spot which only a person wielding a technique such as the sharingan could see, or which a person fully versed in the working of the human body would know of.

If needs called for it, his hand was in a spot where a single shot of precise chakra, could blast through and pierce one of the most important area's on her spine which held her up, meaning paralysis, or worse- death.

However this is what Sakura had prematurely prepared for, this was the moment, she had let go of her swords for. Her hands, which had moved to behind her back, in the moments he appeared before her, now drew the two long blades, which had accompanied her to almost every battle in the last 2 years. Using one of the moves and skills she was most proud of, she whipped the blades out in one blindingly fast movement, and brought them to a stop, one arm under the hand that was across Sakura's neck, laced through Itachi's silky hair to rest on his neck. The other pierced through the thick fabric of his cloak to rest across the side of his lower abdomen.

Despite getting her blades into threatening places just like the disposition Itachi held her in, the blades only resided there, she did not yet draw blood, because in that one blinding movement, all power was lost to the speed of drawing the swords, enough to evade even the eyes of an Uchiha, and therefore no power was left for the kill-the one downside to her prideful skill.

With Itachi's hand on her jugular, and the other threatening her spine, and Sakura's blades on his neck and stomach, they were both in a very dangerous position, either way, one or both had to die, in other words- deadlock.

Nevertheless Sakura wasn't yet disheartened as she had only just managed to get into her position ,even with Itachi's, never in hell would she give up just yet.

"Now see, if I had used these earlier and you were to previously counter it before this moment, I wonder which kind of position we would be in? Hmm, a very bad position for me now wouldn't that be Itachi?" She mocked the arrogant smile of her own predetermined win with her lips.

"And this is any better" he replied with one smile, same as Sakura's but all the more confidence leaked into it.

"Shit" The smile dropped from her lips within seconds and her eyes widen, right before they shut tight, and her body released its over practiced defence mechanism against her greatest enemy, the sharingan.

Chakra threads flooded around Itachi, from the girl he held captive in front of him. She had released them a second after she closed her eyes, avoiding his as they bled deep crimson. He was undoubtedly impressed, by such a practiced attempt to avoid the power and dominance his eyes held.

In the milliseconds Itachi planned to end the fun game he was having, hesitation ended it itself. His hands dropped and went cold, both void of any killer intent, as he watched behind the pink hair in front of him, as unavoidable massacre headed their way.

The katana in Sakura's hands suddenly felt too heavy for her hands to bear, as she felt along her chakara threads what Itachi saw. Her eyes opened wide in response, undiluted shock, pertaining her whole body, as the two cold metal blades, slid from her hands, and clattered against the hard floor.

Without warning both braced themselves as the large gates of Konoha, flew across the village, within the mere seconds it took them to conjure up such shock, it was already half across, gaining such power on momentum, catching the deadly fire, as the burning doors of hell unavoidably headed their way.

And when it happened, all was reflex.

* * *

A/N: i feel like im ultimately failing here with my last 2 chapters, the writing is terrible, i cant do a dramatic scene for my life, and it doesnt seem to flow well either =_= Either way, i hope the nxt few chapters will be better or the next in the very least, u see im having a hard time deciding wat to do next, i dont want a typical story line, i have ideads, but we'll see how far that takes me. So in short, if u have ny suggestions as to wat you want to see happen, plz suggest and review XD


	5. Abdication

_In this world filled with hate and lies, will you be my only truth?_

Faint light seeped through the vast darkness Sakura lay in. All she could see was black, and whether or not she was actually seeing black or just not seeing at all, she did not know. As to where this black came from, she didn't know the answer to either.

For a long period of time she waited in the darkness, not able to rationalise the situation or think logically, as all she saw, heard, felt and thought of was the sheer blackness she resided in. When light came through the darkness like a white dot on a black canvas, she eagerly reached for it, hoping to find some meaning, in the white dot on her black sheet of paper.

_Sakura_

A muffled moan left Sakura's lips as the incoming light was suddenly too bright, she felt like it was one of those mornings where you had slept late the night before and just couldn't bear to get up the next morning, solely because the bed just felt too comfortable. This time, regardless of comfort, Sakura just couldn't bring herself to open her eyes and face reality, everything now was hazy and misplaced, she feared the truth clarity held should she wake, she knew something had happened yet she just didn't yet want to know what.

Whispers of her name seeped in through the blinding light in a strangely familiar voice, which she wasn't able to associate with her everyday life. There was a strain in the dark, soft voice that called out to her and so badly she wanted to reply, to stop the layer of pain that was the very undertone to every word and sentence this person said. As memories rushed in, filling up the empty white space, as if blood was returning, causing severe confusion at first, that slowly diffused as pieces went to their places, people and memories lost the black spots that seemed to cover them, and soon she was remembering everything all over again, going through all the times she had wanted to forget and going over those she never wanted to forget. Sakura was still the same person as she was before, but everything was like a mad rush in her head, like a tangled version of enlightenment, things she thought she understood before no longer made sense, resolves she had made seemed meaningless and things she was never able to comprehend slowly began to make sense.

So many questions filled her now gushing mind, as thoughts she had never thought of before came forth, perplexing her, making her head hurt more with the endless, unanswered questions. With all that had happened to Sakura in the last 3 years, she had shut of all strong emotions, leaving only those that were important, she had lost a lot of things since then, most of all being her questions.

All the memories, she could still remember, she had closed them off, constantly avoiding thinking over them, never wanting to replay the horror that now played out in her head.

While Still being a kunochi, she had taken the most missions in the last few years, on par with Naruto or perhaps more, she always drowned herself in them, trying to forget the past, which she knew she could never be done. And the missions that had soon proceeded to assassination missions, is what had made her as hard and cold as she was to her current self, by shutting of her emotion, barraging her memories and ending her unanswered questions. By not thinking about it, she left a lot of unresolved conflicts in her head, that now began to unravel, and the soon she was lost, the dark and lights were all the same and nothing made sense in the sorry mess that was her life.

Slowly but surely regaining consciousness, the voice that had been calling her came closer and closer till she felt it near her ear like she always did. She was thankful in so many un-understandable ways that the voice she heard now was not one that confused her, it was a voice she knew was questionable yet for some reason, it was so clear to her, in stark contrast to what she was lost in.

"Ugh" quiet sighs of complaints came from her as the all darkness and light vanished bleeding though red to a tirade of colour, forgetting confusion and bringing on nothing but the pain.

All pain in every place, flooded her body, and her beating head got the worst of it. Sakura could feel pain everywhere, however someplace felt too consumed by pain so much so that they drowned in it, till it became a unison of pain in that part of the body which was slightly easier to ignore than the pain in her head. As the pain broke through, slowly other feelings of recognition came as well, like the feeling of something large and heavy weighing her down, flattening her, and as she began to realise it, something was trapping her, crushing her.

For that instance of realisation, Sakura was overcome by the sudden feeling of loneliness against this force, feeling like how she felt she was against the battle in her mind, all alone. Waves of panic and claustrophobia washed over her, ever so briefly, as she forced herself to face reality.

Sakura's eyes fluttered open, blasting in an array of light and colour, making her head pound all the more. She wasn't able to see or move much for the weight that pinned her down came till just above her shoulder blades, making it hard to turn her head in any direction.

"Sakura"

Her eyes slid upwards, craning her neck as much as possible, turning to face the direction from which the angelic voice came from.

"Huh" Reality may have settled in around her, but her surrounding were just a whole other confusion to her, and pain seemed to make confusion all the more unbearable.

"You still alive"

"Huh" She replied, squeezing her eyes shut tight, then reopening them again, trying to focus her vision, somehow believing that such a gesture would bring sense with it.

"Itachi" She whispered, her hoarse voice unable to portray any of the ten-folds of shock she felt, as well as more confusion and the relief she wasn't able to accept and didn't want to mentally acknowledge.

"I'm" She paused trying to reorganise her thoughts "I'm confused. What happened? I remember but there are black spots, nothings making sense" Strain, discomfort, and anxiety, were clear in her voice as she trying piecing things back together, knowing she was asking a killer for answers, yet not caring as the feeling of not-knowing was far more over powering.

Itachi heard all these underlying tones in her voice, and feeling strangely discomforted by them, and realising he needed her cooperation for them to get out of this mess, he felt explaining to her wouldn't kill him, but perhaps not explaining would. ;P

"…and now we are trapped underneath what looks like the gates of Konoha, your arms are the only ones which are free, if you are able break them."

"My arms? You want me to break my arms, if anything that would make the situation worse" Sakura replied, still in honest confusion, just taking in the explanation Itachi gave her, starting to clearly remember everything.

For the briefest moment, the sound of laughter escaped Itachi's lips; however it was cut short by the undeniable weight of the pain.

"Use your arms, to break the doors pinning us down." Softly Itachi explained, with slight exaggerated slowness, as if he was talking to a little girl and with her current state and air of innocence about it, he couldn't help but feel like he was.

"Huh, ohhhh"

Sakura looked down, for the first time since she woke up, she noticed that her folded arms, cradled to her breasts, were pressed deep into the hard, of Itachi's chest.

Inhaling deep, through the searing pain in her chest, the sweet scent of cinnamon with the barest hint of cologne pervaded her, leaving a burning sensation. Somehow the scent relaxed her, put her at ease, and for a second her eyelids felt heavy again before she forced herself focus, in this dire situation.

Her arms being the only obstruction making the gap between her and Itachi was removed when she pulled them out, allowing her face to fall hard against his chest, both feeling pain as cuts, bruises and broken bones felt the impact of her head hit down hard; on her face the skin stung, and on his chest the bones burned. Yet both felt relief, as something obstructing that pushed them further apart onto the ground or against the doors was removed, allowing them to have more space as the lay pressed against each other.

With her chest pressed hard against Itachi's, and her pelvis locked tight with his, she could honestly say she had never been closer to a man in a very long time. _Oh shit I just thought of him as a man_, Sakura reprimanded herself, as their proximity brought about disturbing feeling within Sakura, and she found herself raking her hands deep into the mud on either side of them, attempting to gain composure.

Bringing her head up ever so slightly she looked around to the absurd sight before her, acknowledging for the first time, the reason they lay so close. Itachi's strong arms were wrapped tight around Sakura's waist, and it was them which bore most of the weight atop Sakura's small back. _Shit, reflex, reflex _she repeated to herself, warding herself off of any suspicions, because if Itachi's little "move" was classified as something other than "reflex", then Sakura's legs placed atop of Itachi's baring the full force of whatever lay there, would have to be accepted as something other than "reflex", and at that moment in time Sakura had not the sanity nor the space in her head to deal with such complexities.

Therefore she deducted, it was reflex. No more, no less.

_Feeling dominate actions more than thoughts._ She couldn't help but think.

"If you want to live, I would advise you to hurry up"

"Huh"

Craning her neck, as she turned her head a fraction, pink hair pooling atop Itachi's face, as she looked through a crack in the tonnes of heavy wood weighing them down, a small gasp escaped Sakura's lips as she realised Itachi's reason for urging her to hurry.

Flickers of fire could be seen from the small crack, as they danced across the vast grey-blue sky.

Turning her head back around, and smothering her face into the front of the torn mess that was Itachi's cloak, Sakura closed her eyes, and drew as much remaining chakara as she could to the palms of her hands, groaning as the ripples of power pulled through her, brining fresh waves of pain.

For a brief moment, Itachi's fingers twitched in their place around the kunochi's waist, somewhat unsettled by the muffled cries of pain from the young woman he held. Nevertheless he was amazed by the sheer amount of power she was able to draw up in such a state, watching as the electricity glowed around her torn, delicate hands.

"Close your eyes"

Seeing no other reason not to comply, Itachi closed his eyes.

Realising the mound of power swirling within her palms, instantaneously, Sakura closed her eyes, as both parties braced themselves for the force of the impact.

The loud contact sound could be heard miles away, had the village been at its usual state at that time of the day.

The force of the doors rocketing of the ground deemed Sakura to fly up with it, as she wrapped her chakara threads around it, attempting to prevent it from having further contact with the village, yet allowing it to pull her as it flew back, throwing her mere inches from where it landed.

And not a single sound escaped Sakura's lips, as her body flung down hard into the dry mud, as she sacrificed her own well-being.

Itachi watched on in the sort of silent awe that would never be displayed on his face, as he witness the pink-haired woman, push herself of off him with such a force, spreading her threads around the door, thus anchoring herself to them, then letting go a few feet away, in the sure space there was between her and the ground and the door attached to her, as she rolled away just before the overwhelming force could hit her, again.

Digging his heels into the ground, Itachi pushed himself up, unable to use the arms that lay limp at his sides, crushed from being wrapped around the waist of the young kunochi that lay a few away from him, unmoving.

Staggering, as he stood, Itachi looked around him, as the ambers of wood burned with the fire it had caught, which was swiftly approaching the little area they were in, which Itachi noted to be the vast forests surrounding Konoha.

His gaze returned to the small frame, that now propped herself up on her elbows, pushing herself up with all her might, shaking and shivering with all the power drained from her, after giving her last effort to preventing the village from further damage. She was barely able to move in her condition, yet nonetheless she thrived forward, digging her nails through the dirt, pulling the blooded mess which were her legs through the rough un-giving gravel, crawling as hopeless as it was, away.

The was one thing Itachi couldn't comprehend, was why she bothered, sure enough if she stayed there, perhaps moved a little to escape the fire, someone would come for her, save her, surely she trusted her little friends that much.

However it was then Itachi realised what she was doing; she wasn't trying to save herself. She was trying to escape. And Itachi knew that feeling all too well.

Teeth gritted through the blurry, spotted mess that was her thoughts, Sakura dragged herself forward nonetheless, doing anything to escape, fully aware of her crushed legs and unwilling chest. Because she didn't Care. She didn't care how much this made her a traitor, a coward, a worthless excuse for a shinobi, she didn't care because all she couldn't bear to think about in that moment was the disaster that was her village which she couldn't even bring herself to look at, or the few faint chakra's that she had felt disappear, that sent everything she had been living for to waste.

Looking down through a bloody veil, Itachi's hazed gaze flitted around till it landed a few feet away on a small, pink-haired heap, on the ground to his right. He watched as the small thing, struggled with shaking limbs, bringing one arms in front of the other, doing anything to feed the soul instinct to escape.

Itachi couldn't look away. He knew, she wasn't trying to escape from him, or the fire, or the other rogue ninjas, or even herself. Not her home that no longer existed, not the people that were missing, not the truth, not the lies, not even reality. No, he knew, and understood this feeling more than anyone else, he knew it wasn't anything she was escaping from that she could even explain, he knew it was all her instinct moving her, compelling her with a force she couldn't understand or mull over till later, he knew she was escaping nothing but the truth behind the lies.

Yet somewhere deep inside, in a place Itachi didn't even want to think about, he knew he just couldn't leave her there. He would question himself later, he would berate himself as to why he could so calmly kill his whole family and clan, why he could leave his identity behind and become a rogue-nin, why he could do all that but couldn't resist the beautiful, desperate disaster in front of him.

Forcing logic to take over, Itachi swayed over to the shivering form. He could walk just fine, however his arms were long gone, they were crushed in so many ways that it wasn't even possible to raise them an inch let alone a centimetre anymore. He would be able to make it farther enough to safety, but he would be severely vulnerable nonetheless, and should anyone pursue him the chances of winning were very, very low. Sure he had the sharingan, but with his low chakara supplies he knew that wouldn't get him far. Though, somewhere inside Itachi knew this was just an excuse, he had somehow managed to almost convince himself he needed a medic.

Upon feeling his presence approach, the small, crippled kunochi, on her hands and knees dragging her crushed legs behind, just barely stopped her efforts. She was somehow aware of herself yet she was unable to care, knowing that the young man now crouched beside her was probably there just to laugh.

"Sakura…let's make a deal"

The calm, even tone, lacking any hint of mockery, shocked the pink-haired mess, halting her dead in her tracks, her head snapping up as fast as it was able.

"W..what" She managed to croak out despite, the lack of air she felt.

"You are a medical-nin, are you not? Help me and I will help you in return"

"Don't mock me!" Just as much anger as she was able to muster in that state pervading her tone.

"I assure you I am not mocking. I will be your legs but in return you must be my arms, furthermore in return for safety you must heal us both, and then our contract shall be terminated."

Her mind which was becoming more and more of a blurred mess, caught onto nothing but the relished idea of escape, and if it meant teaming up with a renowned killer, then she would willing do so, because nothing, was worse than this. Also, in some strange, slightly-disturbing way, she couldn't help but feel that she trusted Itachi somewhat.

"Deal"

Itachi edged as close as possible to Sakura, and she looked up knowing full well what she had to do, and not hesitating even a second to do so. Sliding one thin, shaky arm around Itachi's waist, she closed her fingers tightly into the think material of his cloak, as he proceeded to move into a standing position, bringing Sakura up with him as she grabbed on for her dear life.

With a bit ( more like a lot), off effort, they finally made it into a suitable standing position. With Sakura hanging onto Itachi, her left arm wrapped tightly around his waist as she gently manoeuvred his right arm to lay around her shoulders, so that she wouldn't pressure it when they moved, and doing his part, Itachi making up for all she couldn't, standing for the both of them, as he proceeded to move them forward, away from the sorrowful mess that was once their village, away from the heartbreak Sakura couldn't even bare too look at one last time.

Moving ahead, as Itachi dragged the both of them through the thick, empty forest, along some unknown path, Sakura looked straight ahead through the slowly lightening wilderness, as light began to seep through the thick canopy's overhead, as they crossed the clear cut border between the grounds of Konoha and the never-ending wilderness that surrounded it. With a fleeting hope, her head turned to look fervently at the clouded sky as sunlight began to peer through. Her head dropped again with disappointment, however secretly she made a prayer, just a small one, praying for a little bit of hope to rain down upon on her receding village.

And sure enough, about half an hour later, deep inside the heart of the forest, small droplets of rain began to filter the thick leafy umbrella, and for once Sakura relished the feeling of raindrops against her broken skin.

Shutting her eyes tight, then opening them wide again, forcing consciousness, Sakura brought her head up for the first time during the whole journey. It was hours later, as Sakura's wide eyes, reflexively squinted against the bright lights that screamed in her face as if they were competing with her blaring head ache.

Still all thoughts were lost as Sakura glanced tiredly around her. She hadn't noticed when they had crossed the threshold between grass and ground, however one thing for sure, after all the purposeful twists and turns they had taken, this wasn't a random forest-village they had happened upon.

No, this was their destination, the place Itachi had been leading them to.

The red light district.

Shangri la.

* * *

A/N: ugh, Im ill, again ;( , ive been at this chapter for weeks but i just never had the time to finish it, too much work going on, and bloody un-understandable Othello :( anyways i used my being ill as self excuse to put off work and do this instead, so here it is, buut i didnt read over it properly, and it doesnt flow aswell either, unwell = short attention span -.-

Enjoy and review XD


	6. Lull

_ When you are lost I am found, when I am lost you are found... Is this our equilibrium?_

Itachi was tired. 'Tired' being a serious understatement. He was simply following instincts to take him and the young pink-head hanging off him to safety. He couldn't think. Scratch that, he didn't _want_ to think. Thinking meant using the almighty brain, and at that moment, pushing the forefront of his brain, was every reason and every excuse as to why in the blue hell he was saving this girl. _It's not saving but a double sided deal_, he would try kid himself, but with his slacken state of mind, the convincing wasn't going all to well. Thus he decided to shut up. His mind that is.

However despite the fact that his mind hand gone into sleep-mode, he couldn't help but contemplate Sakura's reaction to the place they were going. Three quarters of the way through the journey, before he even realised it he was already mulling over the prospect. He expected her to gasp out in horror, and scream at him in disgust against what was the real world.

However as always, she did the complete opposite. The unexpected.

"Huh, figures, with all the evil doing, and taking over the world, men like you would have to come to such a place to find relief" She sighed out in a bored tone.

"Hmm, I never knew you took me for such a man Sakura-san" Replied Itachi, not betraying a single hint of emotion as per usual.

Sakura's eyebrows rose and her features read 'seriously ¬_¬' though she knew he wasn't looking; as her voice was enough of an indication.

"You bring me in the middle of the night to a town home to prostitutes, and I expect you to take us next to some kind of brothel to stay it. Yes Itachi, I think you are a wonderful, honourable, absolutely shameless person." She replied, he voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Of course" a hint of mockery in his voice.

"Men these days" she sighed.

Itachi's face showed slight signs of disbelief at her reaction and her words, before it dissolved into a look of sheer amusement. He was starting to feel grateful, that the woman he had just made a very risky deal with wasn't the typical kind.

Their ramblings had eaten up the time it took them to get to their destination. And just as Sakura had predicted, it was a brothel.

As if he read her mind, Itachi spoke out; "It's not a brothel, it's a geisha house."

"Just another word for high-class prostitute…" She replied her words strong yet her voice tired and strained. The damage was starting to take its toll, and the chakara threads she had wrapped to keep her wounds closed and almost-functioning muscles working, were starting to wear away.

Stopping in front of the large, ancient building, Sakura couldn't help admire its beauty, despite what it held. It was old fashioned, tiled, colourful, grand and definitely one of the biggest buildings there.

Itachi, on the other hand, was unfazed by the out-of-ancient-edo-emperor-style –look. Coming to a stop right in front of it, he pulled Sakura upright beside him, and straightened out his back, before using his foot to tap lightly against the large wooden doors.

_Psht, stupid pride getting in the way of him asking me for help_, Sakura thought, however it hadn't occurred to her, that perhaps Itachi didn't ask her help, because he felt sympathy on her in her current state.

After a short wait, the large doors drew apart, someone had opened them up, though Sakura hadn't a chance to look at who or even at her surroundings, as Itachi swiftly took them towards the second door, this one was wooden also, but had had rice-paper coverings which gave a rat-tat-tat sound when Itachi tapped on them with his foot, again.

Without giving time to even think, the doors slid open. Standing behind the doors, was a worry stricken woman, looking rather out of breath from perhaps running. Nevertheless she was beautiful, she was in her mid-thirties, and wore her long hair in a loose bun at the back. She also wore, a plain yet expensive kimono, purple with white and yellow flowers and an indigo obi to hold it all together.

From the hairstyle, to the expensive kimono, to the sparkling ornament decorating her hair. Sakura could almost instantly tell that this woman was the owner of the 'house'.

"Itachi-kun" she cried, leaning forward to give him a light hug, then standing back again, all seriousness of the woman-in-charge back in her face, as she looked over them, appraising them, before raising a single, perfectly sculpted eyebrow at Itachi.

"Misa-san, this is Sakura-san" Gesturing to her with a tilt of his head "My wife"

"Your what!" Sakura started, by was cut short by the strong death glare she received from Itachi.

"Errm, I, um, I mean, I thought we weren't going to tell anyone, Itachi-kun" She'd managed to pull it off, as she looked back at Misa-san, who was being feed their line of bullshit.

A smile broke out across Misa's face, as she looked at the two in amusement, she did not know whether what they were saying was true or not, but with Itachi involved, it was definitely going to be fun to watch. She just hoped upon hope that the poor girl, who looked so weak, would be able to handle someone like Itachi, because more than anything, she hated having to clean up blood.

Speaking of weak and blood, it finally clocked that the two people limping in front of her, were practically drowning in it. She sighed, so it seemed like the girl was already involved in the same painful fate Itachi was.

"Oh I'm so sorry, sorry, come in right away" she moved aside, guiding the two, then closing the door.

"I'll go get the supplies, and some food, and maybe some clothes…" her words trailed off into the distance, as she frantically ran off, to get what she had just listed.

Sakura was surprised and confused, what were they supposed to do then, just stand and wait for her to come back? However Itachi was always one step ahead of her - scratch that, ahead of everything, and he obviously seemed to know what to do and his way around.

"This way" he muttered, exhaustion beginning to peel through his voice, as he guided them down a corridor, through more doors, stairs, halls, corridors all of which, after a while Sakura stopped following. She was much too tired to care, and she figured, that regardless of whether she knew where she was going or the route there, she wouldn't have much freedom with a person like Itachi.

The last corridor they travelled through was on one of the top floors. With each level of the building, the quality seemed to improve, and since the level they were currently on had solid oak panelling, and mahogany railings, not to mention the glossed over interior or the opaque rice paper doors, she'd say they were at the very top.

All around candles flickered, twin holders scattered along the walls, illuminating the seemingly empty corridor. The corridor, on the top level which they were in, began at the top of another wooden stair case. Along the corridor, there were doors, and Itachi chose the one on the furthest left, after passing through, it led to another corridor with sets of doors all along the sides.

_It's like a bloody maze _Sakura thought absently mindedly. Nevertheless their tour through wonderland hand ended when Itachi pulled them up to the first, left hand door of the corridor and stood in front of it, straightening up, preparing to use his foot again.

Sakura sighed audibly with annoyance.

"You could just ask me you know!" Sakura was feeling rather angry, yet her tone was unable to portray the feeling, too week with exhaustion. However Itachi hadn't even noticed Sakura was conscious, he thought she had passed out or fallen asleep, all the way back on the second floor.

Shifting at his side, Sakura clenched her fist and flexed her arm out at her side, not wanting to shake in front of Itachi. Once she was sure she could move properly, and with sufficient pain to prove so, she brought her hand up, placing it on one hole of the decorated, wooden doors, then with enough pain and power, pulled it back out of its stiffness. After tugging hard at it, it slid across and she let it go, the door trailing along and hitting the other side, bring up an inferno of dust with it.

Both looked inside at the vast darkness of the room. Since it was already night-time, there was no sun light to brighten up the area, and since the room hand been seemingly unused for a while, there were no candles alight inside.

After taking one glace in the room, Sakura then looked around her again, and reached up one hand to pull a candle from one of the holders, gently prying it out. She knew Itachi would never ask her to do it, it was pride getting in the way, the risk of trusting a stranger, but Sakura understood, it was the same for her, like she never asked Itachi to raise her a little higher over any upcoming rocks or roots on their way there, it was her pride and lack of trust that stopped her doing so, yet all the same he lifted her up and out of the way, just as she was lighting the candles in the room right now.

What they had walked (more like dragged) themselves into was a large room, to the left of the room was a single sliding door, slightly ajar with a hook hanging out from the inside, probably leading into the bathroom. In the large room, was to their right a bookshelf, then a closet then a small sofa, a lone desk also accompanied the room to the left.

A large, low sitting, double bed, that was designed as some kind of mix between a traditional futon and the modern day bed, lay in the middle of the room, shrouded by mounds of covers with heavy embroidered material, and thin silk curtains dipped down around the edges, looking like some sort of touchable mist.

At twenty years old, being alone with a single man, in a large empty room, with no one else around, and in a prostitute house to top it off, the only sane thought that breezed through Sakura's mind in her barely conscious state of observing the room, and more importantly the bed, were something along the insane lines of _"Who would've though, Itachi's a traditional guy *internal shrug intended*"._

Sakura had yet to find out the difficulties and complexities of such a situation. Maybe, just maybe, when her mind has the few seconds to breath she would be able to fret about it, she was Sakura after all.

Heading towards the bed and plonking them both down on it, Sakura pulled herself back from the edge and into the middle of the bed. Then without second though, out of sheer honest medical habitation, she did something Itachi really hadn't expected. Sakura put her hands under Itachi's arms and pulled him back to the middle of the bed, using as much of her strength she could muster, managing to get him lying flat on his back against the soft red covers of the bed.

Itachi merely looked at her with clear sighs of astonishment and what-the-hell-are-you-doing evident in his raised eyebrow and piercing glare.

Sakura looked back, confused, leaving Itachi to sigh, and force himself to verbally answer the clueless girl in front of him, really he didn't know why he even bothered.

"Sakura, I am not disabled" He spoke slowly, hoping for the words to get through to her.

"Oh I know, but if you tried yourself it would be much more painful right" She replied honestly, ending with a small smile, before swiftly averting her gaze as she realised to whom she was smiling at.

However back on Itachi's end, he was no longer confused, her understood, to him right now he was a patient, not considering his background, his past or even his abilities, just his injuries. _So this is what it felt like to be cared for by a medic-nin_, he mused inwardly, ever so briefly remembering his mother and her special touch.

"Okay" Sakura began, in a business tone "I'm just going to stabilise myself first, then I'll view the extent of your injuries and how long it will take to heal them…Hmm" her eyes scanned over Itachi's tattered form, as she bit her bottom lip, deliberating. "I don't think I have enough chakara to get anything done today, but I should be able to stabilise them, so if you move or anything, they won't misplace and set wrong, the bones that is. I could numb them if you like, buuut I don't think you'd want that though, am I right?" she challenged raising an eyebrow at him, knowing a person like Itachi would never latch on to any opportunity to be at a disadvantage, regardless of the circumstances.

"If you know then why ask"

She smiled and turned away. Putting her hands behind her back and onto the soft mattress, she pulled herself up along the bed, so she could rest her back against the headboard. With her legs stretched out in front of her, she pulled her long arms up, pointing the tips of her fingers, as much as they would go, towards the wooden ceiling, she then brought her arms down, across her laps, reaching as far as possible to touch her toes. Grimacing at the pain, she managed to do so easily enough.

Now that she was sure of any other breaks and bruises along her arms, back and spine, she drew chakara through her arms along her nerves to the tips of her fingers.

Sorry to say, but Sakura was scantily clad only in the reaming tethers of material from her torn gown, and since her tights had been reduced to something short of nothing, bearing large, full-leg-length holes, she had no need to remove them. Gently she trailed her fingers, from the cusps of her ankles to the edge of her thighs, washing warm chakara over it in the process, assessing the damage, cleaning the wounds, recoiling the muscles, re-stitching the ligaments.

However no matter what she did, nothing would change the fact that her lower leg bones were shattered and her thigh bones fractured. They were shattered in so many ways that there were stray pieces of bone lodged all over in the surrounding muscle tissue. After managing to squeeze her little bits of chakara inside, and repositioning most of the bone, to a stable arrangement, she wrapped her spindles of thread around the bone then intertwined it into the muscle, holding all back in place.

Despite having pieced the pieces of her bone puzzle back together, Sakura couldn't actually forcibly bind them back like they were before. That was a more natural process, not something that could be magically glued back together using chakara, it had to heal by itself, and re-grow itself. All Sakura could do was keep the bones in place, but that was all, she was after all only a medic-nin, not a bloody miracle maker.

Normally it would take approximately six weeks for a broken leg to heal, that was though, for a 'broken' led, Sakura's legs were better described by the word 'incapacitated', and that kind of thing normally took minimum, at least twelve weeks to heal, meaning until those twelve weeks were over she would be incapable of returning to Konoha by herself. Especially by herself. If she were to go out there defenceless, injured, chakara-less, vulnerable, disabled, well simply put, she would go down faster than Naruto and a bowl of ramen, and that in itself was very, very worrying.

Sakura sighed as she pulled her arms away, straightening her back, she turned towards Itachi, who lay in the same spot, eyes focused passively on the brown oak of the world above. Resigned, her gaze trailed down to his arms, which lay lifelessly at his sides, unmoving, un-healing. Doing all the mental calculation that was necessary, Sakura figured that Itachi's arms were just as messed up as her legs, if not worse. As a medic-nin, despite not being blessed with magical power from the powers that be (as much as she'd love for them), she was able to shorten the twelve weeks to at the very least, a minimum of six or seven weeks, to fully heal, if she used her chakara daily on both of them, perhaps even with help from Itachi, she may be able to forcibly induce growth in the bones.

_Ugh, so much damn work, what have I gotten myself into, _Sakura cringed inwardly, though she knew, she rather be here suffering than if she had stayed there to suffer an even worse kind of pain, any day.

"Six weeks" Sakura stated aloud, pausing, till Itachi's eyes flickered from the ceiling, to return her gaze from the corner of his eyes. _What can't be assed to even turn your head; _Sakura mentally sighed at the hopelessness of men.

Looking back at his empty, pit black eyes in annoyance, her eyebrows furrowed together as she closed her eyes and massaged her temples, frustration at well; everything evident.

"Six weeks" she repeated continuing on, "Every day, once a day, after that, our 'contract'" she air-quoted with her fingers "is o-v-e-r, and no one, not a soul comes to know of this, deal?"

Itachi continued to stare at her for a few seconds before his eyes flickered back to what was previously intriguing him, as he replied in his usual bored tone; "Yeah, sure, whatever."

"Put up with me and I will put up with you" Sakura burst out in annoyance muttering "s.o.b" to herself as she clenched her fist at her side, desperately aching, to give him a nice, sweet-sounding slap; _'That'd definitely make him look'._

Itachi raised an eyebrow as he turned his head a fraction towards her, the thin line his lips were set in, almost a smile.

"Good" Sakura breathed deep and exhaled, summoning as much patience as could possibly be held with an Uchiha, from within her. "Then, I'll brace the bone together, and surround them with my chakara threads, and maybe if you have, some bandage" she said scanning the empty room briefly " then tomorrow we'll start the real healing, o-k?" she spoke the last word clearly with exaggerated slowness.

"Hai, hai" came his reply, and Sakura imagined, if his arms were working, he would've probably waved her off with a swish of his hand.

Pulling herself up beside him, Sakura could feel the gentle heat wave emitting from him, gradually decreasing as trickles of blood stained the mattress. Ever so carefully, using a stray kunai she had hidden in heaven-knows-where, Sakura dragged the sharp blade along the surface of the thick fabric, which was everything marking Itachi as a killer. Thanks to the vast amount of holes and rips in the material, most of which were previously inflicted by Sakura herself, the black fabric tore easily, giving way to the grayish sleeves of the long top Itachi wore underneath.

The soft material of the dark gray cotton, clung to the smooth yet heavy muscles underneath assented by the glisten of sweat and stains of red, Sakura very carefully pulled up the sleeves to revel the clean white skin, marred by scars and tainted by fresh bruises and lacerations. Being one in the field of medical and scientifical interest Sakura couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of his clean cut muscles, firm skin and sure steady holding arms, she also couldn't help but frown at the long pink scars and rivulets of ruby coloured wounds surrounding purpling bruises. She sighed _science was always the best excuse._

After satisfying her 'medical/anatomical/scientifical" interest Sakura slowly slid her shaking and bloody fingers across the marred, perfect surface, sealing wounds along the way, till she reached a final incision, which she used to gently easer her chakara through, deep inside the skin, past the muscle, to the shattered bone, which she pieced back together.

After securing the insides of both arms, muscle and bone with her chakara threads, she carefully washed over the surface skin with a thin layer of what was almost left of her chakara, ensuring to close all wounds if not heal them completely.

Sakura stared at Itachi for a moment or so, after removing her hands, she had looked back over to see he had closed his eyes completely. However he wasn't asleep, Sakura was sure of that, thanks to the uneven rise and fall of his chest. Sakura considered the prospect, realising he wouldn't be able to sleep, his ribs were most likely broken, and there was probably internal damage and bleeding, once again thanks to Sakura.

Closing her eyes, Sakura could feel she didn't have much chakara left in her. As a medic-nin she had an automatic replenish system, however because of everything that had been going on and all the damage to her body, the rate at which she was losing chakara was far more than the rate at which she was regaining it. Deciding she had just about enough left, Sakura place one charged hand across her chest, and delved the limited amount in it, under her skin, she had managed to just about patch together her few fractured and broken ribs and stop any bleeding. She was lucky, the damage to her chest was nowhere near as bad as the damage she knew she had inflicted on Itachi; _Bastard, must've gone easy on me, _she thought with regret.

Drawing out her final, remaining chakara, Sakura opened her eyes and focused on Itachi; "Yosh" she exclaimed as she pulled her full weight, broken legs and all onto Itachi's body. Despite their current disfunctionality Sakura had just about managed to swing a leg over either side of Itachi's torso, as she rested her finely tuned ass on his lower abdomen.

With the immediate weight settled upon him, Itachi's eyes almost instantly flew open, half expecting Sakura to be attacking him. However when he looked down at Sakura seated upon his stomach, with her hands poised over his chest and her legs either side of him, as baffled as his was, he was just about to protest, before a heavy, warm, tingling sensation spread out from where her hands were touching, pouring deep into his chest, dissolving the heavy weight he'd felt situated there.

It was like a drug, he wanted to stop her, make sure she wasn't plotting anything, ward her off, but he couldn't. The feeling was too great, too painful, too beautiful, like ecstasy.

It was a more concentrated version of what coated his arms, enveloping his chest in her almost burning azure chakara, showering his chest in its drug like effect.

He felt relief, for the first time in so damn long Itachi felt the bittersweet sense of relief, and he didn't want it to stop, not so soon after it had started.

Only one thought managed to drive by before Itachi was lulled into a deep self healing sleep;

'_What the fuck is this woman doing to me'_

* * *

_Alternate scene;_

"Lots of sexual tension and aggression building up, what with the whole S-rank missions, best friend becoming hokage, running off in the wild, helping an enemy, being alone with a single male and all, ne Sakura"

"One more word, and I swear Itachi, I will fucking back hand you, right here and right now." And she couldn't help the almost smile of victory across her lips at the silence that followed.


	7. Hypnos

_ Dreams and nightmares, you and me, our reality, our illusion. Our haven._

_Can you feel my heartbeat?_

Sakura watched the darkness, she didn't know how long she watched through the still silence but eventually she became aware of it. She was in it, watching it.

She watched vigilantly, unwillingly, unknowingly, unconsciously, as two characters entered the stage, entered the darkness.

Sakura and Sasuke.

She watched from some sort of outside view as the two appeared. She watched herself; she watched a scene, the past, a distorted memory.

"Sasuke" she heard herself mutter, a tremble in the voice that echoed through the raised her hand towards the face in front of her and stroked it, stroked the soft smooth skin with the tips of her fingers, a sorrowful look on her face, a sad smile on her lips. Her fingers then gently drifted across, resting on his closed eye lids. Her brows furrowed and pain creased her features as she traced the kanji character for 'seal 封' marked on one closed lid, and the character for 'darkness 暗' on the other.

"Sakura" came a hoarse whisper, "is that you?" it trembled, "I can't see anything, it's so dark", the young, strong man in front of her shook with the innocence, the vulnerability of a child, he was no longer the man that turned his back on his village without even a second glance, he was in raw essence someone alone, someone desperate, someone lost in the darkness.

"It's me, I'm here, its ok" she replied in a soothing tone, reaching out to wrap her arms around the young male. She pulled him into a soft embrace, encircling her arms around him as much as she could, rubbing his back, stroking his hair, trying to reassure the only way words couldn't.

Soon enough she pulled back and looked upon his face once again. Watched as he slowly opened his eyes, facing the darkness a single, lone tear spilled over the edge, trailing black down his white cheeks, Sakura gasped aloud as the black tears slowly bled to red, cascading down his cheeks, bleaching his pure white cheeks a threatening crimson.

"Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke" her voice trembled, echoing in the darkness, her weakness clearly the old Sakura. As the blood continued to pour, as she got no reply her persisting voice got louder and louder, "Sasuke, Sasuke, SASUKE!" she screamed as Sasuke's entire form was dyed almost all in red.

"Sakura"

"Yes" she replied eagerly, thinking maybe he would be ok, he was after all Sasuke, always surprising them.

"Sakura, you did this to me, and soon enough it won't just be me you've lost, there will be others, such is the fate of the world we live in, the world only we know"

"Huh" Sakura gazed down at herself. At her heart, her heart from which blood was pouring endlessly. When had that happened? She questioned herself. When had it begun, when had blood started pouring from her heart, from everything important to her? Why wouldn't it stop? When would it end? Would it ever end?

When had blood began raining down for the first time, drenching everything she loved, everything she cared for, everything she had left in its crimson glare?

Why hadn't she noticed it till now?

"Before you even knew it Sakura, that's when" the empty voice that mocked the silence stared right back at her with that piercing glare, the person she no longer knew, the person Sasuke had become.

Suddenly the scene changed, violently shifted. Sakura's bleeding heart was now in his hand; in his other was another heart, both still beating, bleeding. Sakura turned to see the pile of bodies that lay behind him; Naruto, Kakashi, Itachi, and other unrecognizable faces; all of them lay in a bloody pile on the floor, a gaping hole where their heart used to be, blood filing the empty crevice.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"

Sakura awoke, sweating and shaking, in an unfamiliar surrounding. Gasping and panting, she instantly sat up, trying to control her nerves, turning to her left to see the unmoving form of a still sleeping Itachi.

Raking one shaky hand through her hair, she inwardly thanked all she believed in for Itachi still being asleep, she didn't want anyone to see her in the state she was in now.

Carefully she swung her legs over the side of the bed, placing one hand on the head board she pulled herself up, staggered towards the cold walls, leaning on the them she made her way to the small bathroom. Sliding it open, she latched it close again so no one could come in. After just managing to make it to the bathroom by using the walls as support, her trembling legs could take it no more and she collapsed against the cold hard floor.

* * *

A/N: Officially shortest chap so far. Origionaly i made a rule to have each chap have more words than the previous bt that cn go both ways so i decided a change. For this chap i kept it short cuz i wantd to show a glimpse of Sakura's past trauma, by itself. Also since im currently working on the next chap nd will prob submit it soon, i ddnt think it wd matter much to seperate them. Also i kno this is developing slow at the moment, but bare with me ppl its going to spice up a little in the nxt few. What can u expect from the next chapter? Hehe, well lets just say Sakura's having a hard time finding clothes ;P


	8. Thanatos

_When the lines cross, the valves open…_

After taking many deep breaths, she was finally able to calm down, control her racing heart beat. Brining herself back to reality, she looked around the small bathroom she sat in. Pulling her shaking self up of the ground, using the support of the bathtub to her left, she sat herself on the edge as she began to undress.

After assuring there was a towel nearby, she slipped into the steaming hot liquid that filled the bathtub. Submerging herself under the water, she could feel the raw, burning pain as the muscles, bruises and cuts on her legs and all over were exposed to the steaming fury.

She winced and whimpered, ever so slightly as the pain settled through, sending searing pains all across her body. Nevertheless the worst pain was unarguably in her legs, she hadn't realised how bad they were till that moment. She knew the extent of her injuries, the way the bones were broken and what not, but being the Sakura she was, somehow she thought she would be able. Able to at least move around a bit, able to heal herself before Itachi, able to do things before Itachi, able to be more able than Itachi. She didn't know when such ideas came along, but still they were there, and it depressed her somewhat that such things should bother her. Why should she care who was more able than the two? It's not like it was some kind of sex battle between them? It's not like she felt the need to prove herself to be a stronger woman, stronger than his apparent ideology of women.

She didn't care; there was nothing to prove, but still…_dammit_.

Sighing she submerged herself completely, hoping to drown her thoughts as she did herself with the searing water. After a long, worrying while she came back up, mind refreshed, goal clear. Within the next few minutes she'd washed her long tresses with whatever shampoo was there, and had soaped herself with spuds till she was sparkling clean.

After draining the tub and drying herself down, it finally dawned on her, as she stood looking helplessly around her, stark naked, that she Haruno Sakura, most clean and hygiene person, taker of at the very least a showers every day, had to wear the same, yes the SAME, pair of underwear, AGAIN.

It took everything she had in her, to not strut right out of that bathroom, stark naked, march right up to Itachi, wake his soon-to-be-sorry ass up, and demand a nice set of, new, comfortable, CLEAN underwear, and whether or not, he would by any severely unlikely chance happened to have or not, or if anyone else in that damned place had any, he would bloody well make some, should it be the 'not'.

Reluctantly, very, very reluctantly, only after washing and drying them briefly without soap (she shuddered at the very action), she put her underwear back on, cringing the whole while. Yes, for a hard core, kick ass ninja, Sakura really did over react when it came to petty matters like that, but then again, every cloud has its silver lining, just as every woman has their limits.

After the whole underwear fiasco was over, Sakura wrapped the towel that happened to be there tightly around herself, she then looked towards the small, discarded pile of tattered clothes, 'clothes' being a highly unfitting word for what they were at that moment. She gave a small sad sigh as she picked them up, tucking them under her arm, before taking her stance, preparing to leave, army style.

Oh so carefully, she unlatched the bathroom door, and gently slid it open about half an inch. After peering out, and assuring Itachi to still be sleeping, sung-as-a-bug, she glanced left and right, double checking no one around, before pushing the door open, just enough for her to fit through. Then, realising that from her position at the doors of the bathroom all the way to the cupboard across the room, there would be no wall to support herself on, she went for the second best option, crawl.

Getting down on her hands and knees, tucking her old clothes tightly under her outstretched arm, and re-tightening her towel, she made her way still army-style across the battle field. She crawled silently, soundlessly across the wooden floor, she hoped, she prayed to heaven and beyond, that for the world she would give just for Itachi to not wake up, because if he were to wake at that very moment, well let me just say he would have one hell of a sight before him.

The last few crawls (is that even a word?), were painful. Not just because of the pain of tormenting her knees with the ruthless floorboards, no because of the breaths she was afraid would come out, make a sound, lead to the dreaded moment of awaking Itachi. She shuddered at the very thought.

Eventually, after many, many moments of worrying, worrying over the detrimental effects of what could go wrong. She finally made it. She looked up from her place on the ground, to the tall closet that stood in front of her like a piece of haven, she could practically hear hallelujah playing in the background.

Then just as soon as it started there was a "zzsst" sound in her head as the music quickly cut off. _Focus woman you have a mission here!_, she thought.

Raising her arms up high and grasping onto the closet handles, holding on for dear life she pulled herself up. As soon as she was up. And sure she could stay that way for at least the next few moments, she pulled the doors open, swinging with it, she somehow managed to pull herself around so that she was leaning against the open doors facing the open closet.

She stared in awe at the sight before her, the awe which quickly dissipated as the disgust and sheer disappointment of a woman settled in. On her life she was sure that her wardrobe collection consisted of at the very least eight times the amount Itachi's was, heck maybe even ten, and that was saying something.

She raised her hands to tread along the minuscule, almost shameful amount of clothing that was in there. Her hands didn't have much to pass over. Hung up was a mere four items of clothing. Four. Four items only, enough to make Ino go on a rampage, she shivered at the very thought.

What Sakura looked and touched upon with her pitiful glare, all of which were hung up; was an Akatsuki cloak, two kimonos and a long black cloak, _I wonder what he does with that at night,_ Sakura thought, before realising she really didn't want to know.

Oh the options, Sakura sighed to herself, leafing through the garments, trying to decide between the Khaki and maroon kimono (male ones, might I add). I didn't take long to decide between the two and she soon pulled the plain khaki one of its hanger. Feeling the soft, silky fabric between her hands, she was once again amazed at Itachi's seemingly love of Japanese tradition, somehow she always thought of the Akatsuki to be cold, robotic, life-hating creatures, yet some bloody how, there she was in the same room as one of them, touching up his clothes. Really the way the world works.

Swiftly, whilst still leaning against the open cupboard doors, Sakura slid the long kimono on, which was probably double her size, nevertheless she pulled it tight around, wrapping the band, which went twice around her tiny waist, securely.

She hadn't been standing for long, in fact she'd barely been standing, she was more leaning against the closet, even so her legs were broken, crushed, it was to be expected. Taking a step back from the closet, standing alone for no more than a second, she managed to just close the doors, after, as she leaned against them, she dropped the towel from underneath the too-big, almost revealing, kimono of Itachi's.

Looking around her as to what she should do next, she decided upon the bookshelf that was right next to her in its cosy spot between the closet and loveseat. Sakura loved reading, and much to her delight, Itachi's collection of books seemed to be the only thing that was 'full' in the room. Looking forward to some peace of mind, Sakura spun around so she could face the bookshelf and support her body with one arm against the frame at the same time.

Sub-consciously a smile spread across Sakura's lips as her eyes trailed over the rows of books, neatly and orderly stacked on the single shelving unit. She would've stood there for ages, choosing books, mulling over which was better, feeling the soft smooth covers and tracing over the long bumpy binds, but that was what she 'would' have done, not what she 'could' have done, her legs were hurting far too much as it was and the standing wasn't helping at all, neither was the growing amount of exhaustion she was beginning to feel.

Regretfully, she quickly picked up the first most appealing book her eyes laid on, funnily enough it was a piece of old Japanese literature called '_The world only we know'_, it was based on an old myth about a forbidden love between a renowned geisha (non-prostitutional of course) and a young emperor. The funny part was how those very title words had appeared in her nightmare not so long ago.

"_Funny huh, must've noticed it last night without thinking about it, and what do ya know it appears in my oh-so-lovely dreams"; _Sakura thought as she carefully eased out the book. Pushing herself of the side of the shelves, she grabbed on to the opposite side of the shelf pulling her towards the small loveseat sofa. Dammit, it looked comfortable, and no saint let alone Sakura would be able to resist such a thing.

Gladly, she dropped her small pile of clothes in a small pile on the floor beside the sofa, she then maneuvered herself along past the arm of the sofa, before plonking herself down right in the middle.

'_Ahhh'_ were her only thoughts, as she leaned back, allowing herself to sink into the soft, dark, heavy material, feeling it curve and settle snugly around the shape of her body.

Once she was nice and comfy, even a bit more than comfy, she pulled the small book, which she had obviously read before, onto her lap and leafed through it, finding her favourite chapter.

Briefly the thought breezed through her mind;_ who would've thought, me and Itachi have similar taste in books._ However she quickly dismissed it, not willing to open that box of chocolates.

It didn't take long for the pain that had all but disappeared to return to Sakura's damaged legs, eating away the relief, making her feel uncomfortable again. So for the sake of comfort, she pulled her legs up onto the sofa, and since folding her legs was also painful, Sakura stretched them out, her small body sprawled out like a cat across the sofa. With her head near one arm of the sofa and her legs near the other, she had to slightly curl her body and bend her knees in the middle to that she would fit.

With her head resting flat upon her arm, her face buried in Itachi's kimono, his sweet scent heavy in the fabric and her body absolutely beat from the moving effort and restless sleep, not to mention the added pure sweetness of the comfortable sofa, Sakura only managed to read a few lines before falling into a much needed, well deserved peaceful slumber; the very lines which she both loved and feared at the same time;

_**As the wind blows, the willow sways.**_

_**As the raven cries, the lily prays.**_

* * *

Gentle light seeped through as Itachi roused from one of the most relaxed, full-filling, painless, nights sleep he'd had in a very, very long time, whether it was the tiredness or the bittersweet taste of that woman's chakara, he didn't want to think about right then, for now he wanted to treasure the feeling of sleep and comfort still sound in his senses.

Speaking (well thinking) of woman, as his eyes peered open for the first time, he noticed that she didn't seem to be beside him on the bed. He smirked to himself, either she got cowardly and somehow managed to hobble away, or she would surprise he yet again and be brave enough to somehow still be there, and when Itachi reluctantly got out of the soft bed, he realised it was the later.

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed and straitening up within an instant, Itachi stood up, releasing the hold sleep had on him, using the discipline within that only an Uchiha would have had experience with, deeming him to be now fully awake.

Getting up, he looked around the sparse room till his eyes laid upon the person that he knew was there, only from the weak wisps of her chakara left lingering within her.

He walked over; his stiff arms idle at his side. Standing, facing the small sofa, he was amazed to see the woman, so relaxed, so at ease in an enemies territory.

His eyes traced over her, her form which was covered in _his _kimono, his kimono which was many sizes too big for her, and with her position on the sofa, it revealed plenty of cut, bruised and clean pure white skin.

Part of her chest was exposed due to the long neckline of the kimono, and her long, damp, pink, waves of hair only managed to cover part of it. Itachi clearly amused by her position, almost laughed aloud when he noticed part of her exposed breasts pressed against the open pages of his favourite book.

However it was not her 'assets' which drew Itachi's attention the most, (though might I say it did draw his attention somewhat), as Itachi's eyes which traced her form reach her legs, which from the knee down were both clearly exposed due to the kimono's inadequacy, Itachi couldn't look away.

His gaze was captured by the long, thick red gashes across the clear white skin, and the dark round, purpling bruises surrounding the muscle. Itachi had thought his injuries were bad, at least he could move his fingers, but when he looked at Sakura he lost all sympathy for himself. Her legs which had been flawlessly perfect were now covered in dark, heavy cuts and bruises and most probably soon to be scars. Her perfect white skin would be forever tainted with the colour red.

Unknowingly, he had approached the loveseat close enough, so that his barely moving fingers could carefully brush across the exposed skin. The skin was soft and smooth as it appeared, also more tender is some places than others because of the bruising, still its pertness and youth made it more sinful to be marred in such a way, and without realising it, Itachi felt regretful, not realising how much this young kunochi had been giving up, how much she had been going through. How much she suffered.

_Maybe I should take it easier on her_; Itachi thought, not that he'd been insanely harsh to her as it was, however the thought didn't have time to develop, neither did the topic have time to be mentally discussed, as his, _errm_, 'stroking' of Sakura's legs was interrupted by a light rapt on the door.

Walking over to the door and gracefully sliding it open with his foot (yet again), he recognised the appearance of one Misa-san's common sluts, _ehem_, maids, he said/meant maid.

"Yes"

"Ah, Itachi-sama, Misa-sama requests you to come and join her for dinner this evening" she said in a sickeningly sweet tone, all the while batting her eyelashes, "oh and she said; to bring your wife" she finished the last part with distaste clear in tone, as if the very word was diseased.

"Ok, thank you" he replied before swiftly sliding the door shut in the woman's face, rudely cutting of her advances in a way she deserved it.

Itachi now turned towards the sofa where his 'wife' slept. He sighed to himself, how was he going to explain this to her? How would they pull this all of? And most importantly, how in the blue bleeding moon was he supposed to wake her?

Taking a deep breath, Itachi realised one thing; _it was going to be a hell of a 6 weeks._

* * *

A/N: didnt i say id put it up soon, wow first time i actually did! Ok so thanks vrai much for the reviews esp to the people have been following me through the chapters lurve and hugs to u XD

ahh its even bothering me how slow things are going, -_-". well since its like almost bloody 5am, bloody hell its almost 5am! anyway im going to put up a review, or 'coming soon' for the next chapter, here, mwaahha u cant avoid the a/n, ah going mad, as i said its almost 5am, 5am... nyways;

In chapter nine;

Itachi explains all (all of what!), The happy couple must 'prove' their relationship for reasons which Itachi explains all of ;P. Lastly pure, innocent Sakura walks in on a scene which Itachi finds very amusing, oh and lets not forget some ITASAKU XD yup its almosty 5am, 5am5am5ammm

Review for more Itasakuuuuuu 3, yup its stil almost 5am5am5am5ammmmmm XS


	9. Illecebra

_ The best way to rid yourself of temptation is to yield to it {DG}_

It was nearing the evening, the dims light that filtered through the thin rice paper windows being replaced by the bright, gleaming shine of lanterns being lit up, hanging on the vines, winding round the whole street.

As twilight settled through the sky, Sakura was still lost in the land of sleep. She slept as peacefully and innocently as a child. Her exhaustion was such that she may have even been past sleep possibly unconscious.

A few hours earlier, after Itachi had received the message regarding dinner with Misa-san, Itachi had considered waking the girl; he even considered picking her up and placing her in the bed. That was before he remembered his arms, and how they wouldn't work, how useless he was without them.

In the end he decided to let her sleep. He knew she had spent most of her chakara healing him last night, and he knew that she had healed him more than she had healed herself. Whether or not people believed he actually had a heart, he still didn't have the heart to wake her, especially not when she looked so innocent, so vulnerable, so… _alone_.

* * *

Sakura slumbered through hours of peaceful, dreamless sleep, all the way till the last few, rather questionable minutes. Yes, a soft, dark voice, calling her name from the outside, pervaded her conscious, penetrating the sweet darkness she rested in.

In the voice lay a deep hidden taste and tenor underlying an articulate manner, causing in a hypnotisingly dark way, to spring forth from someplace, deep, deep in the darkness in a place she didn't want to acknowledge, a never before seen dream, only possible thanks to her new acquaintance.

The contents of the dream scene began to unravel in a shocking manner, suddenly the main character namely Sakura was pulled back to the surface, sleep washing over bringing awareness with it, gladly, yet somehow regretfully reality had seeped in.

Sakura awoke with a gasp, sitting up within an instant, briefly overcome with shock. She'd sat up so fast, in such a swift movement, her head spun and her eyes had yet to adjust to the light. She blinked twice, able to see clear again yet not believing the sight before her eyes.

Staring squarely into Itachi's face, but an inch from hers, was not an occurrence she experienced every day, to say in the least, and with the dream she'd just had it was easy to say she wasn't ready to face him, therefore when he simply returned Sakura's blank gaze with a raised eyebrow in the seconds she woke up to face him, Sakura could honestly say, but not admit aloud, she was scared _shitless_. She didn't know where the hell his face had popped out from but just his voice alone calling her name, was enough to give nightmare, or otherwise questionable dreams.

Sakura's reaction was simple, being the young woman she was, she was not one to scream in shock, that was a bad habit she'd shook of a long time ago, no, instead she cursed anything and everything with a string of profanities, which Itachi noted to be a reoccurring habit, making this time no exception. When the blank look of disbelief passed of her features, swearing shock voiced in her wondrous words, leading Itachi to question where she had ever learnt them in the first place.

"OH MY FUU-"

Itachi face still inches away from hers, was the first susceptible victim to the painfully loud cursing of the woman in front, and by reaction, simply to save himself from needing hearing aids sooner than later, his hand shot out reflexively, clamping down on her mouth, instantaneously cutting of a very startled Sakura's words.

"Shh, do not make a commotion" Itachi hissed, more of a threat than a request, his eyes narrowing with, adding effect.

Sakura nodded wide-eyed against his hand, trying her best not to think about the way the ends of his long, lean figures, stretched across her cheek, curled around the edge of her jaw, ever so gently that in any other situation it could be the sweetest caress.

Before Sakura had any more time to process that train of thought and drop her mind further into the gutter, the large hand, the width of which could easily cover two of hers, withdrew, tickling the side of her face as it pulled back, having gained her agreement.

Wishing to dispel the thoughts and awkward growing silence, Sakura was the first to speak, despite being, much to her dismay, slightly flushed.

"Sorry" she had mumbled, as the Uchiha stood up straight, taking few steps back, inclining his head the briefest fraction in acknowledgement of her apology.

Suddenly remembering the reason he woke her in the first place, and doing his very best not to think about the touch of her soft cheeks, Itachi spoke, aimed at Sakura yet not actually facing her.

"Misa-san would like us to have dinner with her tonight, do you object?

"Hm"

Sakura looked up at him, still in a daze from her shocking awakening, not to mention her oh-so-disturbing-only-because-she-was-kidding-herself-dream. She thought about his statement, knowing either way she couldn't object, in fact she didn't _want_ to object. Heck who would resist, after having not eaten for days, and having her chakara completely diminished, not forgetting the life threatening injures which she healed for two, hell now that she really considered it she'd even eat stones, and just the thought sent her stomach grumbling.

"Yeah, sure, its fine" Sakura replied absently, ignoring the hunger pains, moving her mind onto other things now that she was fully awake.

"Good" he muttered somewhat to himself, glad there would be no complications, well at least he hoped, because Itachi hated nothing more than complications.

"Ah, some clothes and other items have been sent for you" his eyes flicked absently over to a pile on the arm of the loveseat, "to wear to dinner, so you don't have to wear…" Itachi trailed of inclining with a jerk of his chin to her ridiculously unfitting attire, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips as he watched the pink-haired kunochi who was so very unaware of her current appearance.

Sakura looked down at herself for the first time since waking, recalling pulling on Itachi's oversized kimono earlier on. As expected the clothes which didn't fit before still didn't fit then, yet somehow they'd managed to end up in a much worse state than before.

Horrified, her eyes reluctantly travelled over the kimono, open almost all the way down to her finely toned stomach. However she was lucky (if in her position she could be called lucky), the material that was supposed to be covering her front properly, but instead left a V-skin-space half way down, had bunched up at the sides, and since curving around the shape had just managed to cover her breasts, she thanked whoever was half-assedly watching over her, that she was at least wearing a bra, a very firm and stable one at that, assuring in any position nothing 'inappropriate' would show, one with black, lace linings as Itachi had earlier noticed.

That left the last part of her body, sorely being on display, her beautifully tainted, slender legs, only covered up until her knees, the rest of which the kimono had slipped over.

Horror and mental repercussions aside and subsiding, Sakura pulling the tethers of her sanity back to her, managed to regain her composure, for once grateful to the long suffering she endured with Naruto that had blessed her with such divine patience, which she called upon as she slipped the soft material back in place, wrapping the loose ends of the utterly useless obi back around herself.

"Thanks…" She mumbled, unable to meet the Uchiha's dark gaze.

Without another word, Satisfied by her response, Itachi nodded once and turned around, heading towards the bathroom, holding a similar pile to which Sakura had, under his arm.

Wordlessly, Sakura turned to the small pile balanced on the arm of the chair, taking it in her hands surveying the contents. There was a long, silk kimono, with intricate designs concentrated at the bottom before scattering towards the top, all spread in an array of turquoise, silver and violet linings with a tease of pink trimmings. Holding the heavy garment in her hands, Sakura couldn't help but gape at it, even she could tell just by looking at it that it was worth more than probably her apartment and Naruto's put together.

Shaking her head at the bizarre way things had turned out, she put the kimono aside, noticing a box containing an abundance of bandages. She smiled; she could finally make a cast for herself. After wrapping the lengths of five rolls per leg, and trailing a sealing layer of chakara over, Sakura looked satisfied at the two centimetre thick cast's she had made for herself, slowly feeling the pain subdued as her legs were squeezed tight, making her smile at the relief.

Flicking her green eyes upwards, checking the bathroom door to be closed and locked, before she slipped of Itachi's kimono, and gently pulled on the extravagant kimono she'd been given.

Sakura began trying to tie the obi, her pink locks swishing left and right as she pulled at the abundance of different coloured fabrics, constantly looking behind to see if she'd managed to get the knot right.

After figuring out, and some bloody how succeeding in tying the first basic wrap, she realised there was still more to go, and sat pink head hung, obi lying abused in her tired arms, _why is it so fucking complicated! Dammit!_

Not knowing what else to do, she rearranged the kimono so it was sitting perfectly on her, it looked good on her, 'good' being a serious understatement, but without the obi it looked odd and incomplete. Sadly though, she had to resign to accepting she could get only as far as the basic wrap, _hey at least it wasn't falling off_, as if that was such a reassurance, like it made up for the fact that without the obi it could all easily glide of revealing plenty of cream skin, all with just a tug of the thin wrap.

After smoothing the material over her lap for the hundredth time, she flashed her jaded eyes over to the remaining contents of the box. Picking through she pulled out another small box, pulling it open revealed a small puff powder compact and some lip gloss. She looked perplexed at the items for a short while unsure of what to do, of course they were typical essentials that normally go with the ensemble she was wearing, but Sakura was just a bit bewildered, because this situation wasn't something she'd normally classify as normal.

Putting the box down in a sudden rush of realisation, Sakura's hands fluttered over back to the bigger box looking, searching through, discovering what other disasters and abnormalities lay there, and sure enough there was a long multi-coloured gemmed hair-clip, adorned with a large azure gem, which by the way, Sakura was sure was probably more expensive and extravagant than the simple in comparison, gems surrounding it.

There was also a pair of chopsticks, similar to those that had held her hair together, and fallen out, in what now felt like a life-time ago. One was black, the other a darker shade of pink, however difference with these hair chopsticks was, compared to her cheap ones of the market, these too were embellished with expensive gems, four on each, three of which were a deep heavy jade, similar to that of her very own eyes, the last at the tip of the stick being a dark crimson gem, holding a semblance of a drop of blood, spilled out for the sake garnishing.

Not only was there expensive hair accessories, much to her consternation there was also slightly heeled okobo, the ones geisha generally wear, along with the toed socks, _how the hell _she was supposed to walk in them was something she didn't even want to envision.

Aside from the boxwood comb, which coincidentally enough was decorated by Sakura blossoms, there was nothing else in the box. Rifling through the contents again, nothing but puzzled written on her face, Sakura was startled to find there were no necklaces or bracelets to go with the whole way-over-the-top theme.

_Weird,_ she thought, staring blankly at the innocent looking items, it took a while, but eventually it dawned on her, it dawned on her that she wasn't being made to 'dress up', or simply 'look good', she was being made to dress up to look prim and perfect. There were no neck adornments or bracelets because those areas were meant to be left bare, to draw attention, to add that sweet innocence to the whole look.

Her face contorted with a look of sheer horror, something dawned on her from what had dawned on her from before. The words 'perfect' replayed in her head. _I'm going to be judged, I'm going to be judged to see if I'm suitable enough to be Itachi's wife…. _At this point of realisation a look of semi-disgust and agitation blessed her pretty face as she sighed leaning back into the chair. _Shittt._

_Ugh why do I even have to do this for him!_ Sure Sakura was irritated, irritated as hell to be precise, but what was she to do about it, here she was at the mercy of Itachi's _very _capable hands. This was Itachi's territory, as questionable as it was, at the end of the day he was the one with the control, the one with the power; and just the very idea of it pissed Sakura off to whole new levels of irritation. She hated, no _loathed_, not being in control. She couldn't stand even the thinnest slither of vulnerability and she was appalled with herself for getting into such a situation in the first place.

However thinking twice about it, as she powdered her face, camouflaging the barely healed gash, running across from her right temple to the peak of her left cheek, Sakura couldn't help but feeling sort of...relieved.

Hell if it had been anyone else, she would have been long since dead, actually if it was anyone else she highly doubted she would have made such a contract in the first place. She was just glad that if she had to go through this stupid, pointless 'wife' thing it was with Itachi, because at the very least he wouldn't be having any funny ideas in mind (at least _she_ believed so…).

And hey, in any normal, rational situation you couldn't go wrong with those dark, alluring features, and those sweet, toned, strokeable abs. _If this was any other alternate universe_, Sakura thought, she probably wouldn't mind going out with him, and doing other things with him and that smooth, firm, muscled bo-

_Perish the very thought_, Sakura repeated over and over in her bustling head, deluding herself into forgetting about such… tempting things.

She heard the click of the door, before she saw it open, just as she was twisting her hair into a loose bun using the clips and sticks, noticing Itachi had been considerate enough to make clear he was going to exit before actually gliding the door open – with his foot might I add.

The sight of Itachi in the long black silk kimono, patterned with a simple dark brown design and trimmings, arouse a mixed set of emotions within Sakura, possibly two of the most juxtaposing emotions out there.

It had made her want to both laugh and cry at the same time. It made her want to, and she did, laugh at the spectacle of the great, scary, missing-nin, Uchiha clan-killer; unable to properly tie the belt for his kimono, and thanks to his never ending source of pride he somehow managed to put it together despite it sorely being done, with half the top part slipping of and the bottom part sadly covering completely.

It also made her want to cry, solely because he looked so damn _good._ She couldn't help but marvel once more at the pecs peaking out of the failing kimono, and the way the material fit on his skin, the way his defined features fit in perfectly with the whole ensemble, making him look like some kind of royalty, where as she felt she looked completely unfitting with such delicate, expensive clothing, what with her bright green eyes and pink hair which so abnormally stood out. She wanted to cry simply because he looked so damn _hot, _and she couldn't deny it, -she also wanted to cry because she was comparing looks with a male and felt as if she was actually on the losing side.

"Don't laugh at me woman, you don't seem to have fared any much better" Itachi spoke, breaking the silence with his usual monotone voice, sparing but a glance at the kunochi's dolled up form.

Looking down at herself, she couldn't agree more, but at the very least half her body wasn't on display much like his, and she voiced this, only to be responded to with a simple raise of his eyebrows, leading her to remember her earlier, very revealing outlook and she had to look away from his forceful glare to prevent herself blushing at the grim memory.

"Yeah…" she muttered, restarting the conversation, hoping to divert him and herself from remembering the scaring incident. "… I can't figure out how to do the damn thing, it's all so complicated" she explained, gesturing to the obi and various other wraps lying folded on her lap.

His dark gaze travelling from the obi to her singularly wrapped waist, back to the creases in the material on her lap from the endless attempts, Itachi regarded her with the same look he had a moment before she'd explained to him, it was pretty obvious, there was no surprise there, but he could tell she was being courteous and just making conversation.

In four short strides Itachi crossed the room, coming to a stop in front of her. For a second Sakura merely stared stunned at him walking over, unnerved by what he was going to do, or_ could_ do.

Instead he stood there for a while, just stood there, surveying her, his eyes darting repeatedly between her waist and the obi.

Sakura watched him, unsure of what to do, and feeling strangely self conscious of his hard penetrating gaze.

Eventually he spoke, breaking the awkward silence.

"Did you put the tesaki on yet?"

"what… the… fuck is that" Sakura muttered to herself dismayed, as her eyes roamed over and her hands flicked through the different pieces of material on her lap, trying and seriously failing to figure out which one the hell it was.

"That one" Itachi's clear voice stopped her hands in their tracks, the light blue silk belt in her hands halted from being discarded back into the pile.

Pulling it out through her fingers, Sakura stared at the thing for a while, with no idea in hell what to do next.

"Erm…" she reluctantly whipped her eyes up, looking at Itachi's face as if the answers were written there, however if they were, then they were in a whole different language because Sakura couldn't read them, and just wished he would use his damned, perfect mouth for once.

"You wrap it around twice" He enunciated in reply to her questioning 'Erm', separating the words as if talking to a child.

"Oh" Not knowing what else to do, she wrapped the belt around as he watched her, feeling weirdly hesitant.

"Next…?" she murmured looking up once she was done, Itachi then pointed to the obi, before giving her precise and surprisingly accurate information on how to assemble the damned thing.

It took a while, but eventually she got it done, only possible with the instructions of the very knowledgeable Itachi, _of course_.

"How do you even know this shit…" Sakura voiced her following thoughts aloud, peering up to meet his dark almost black gaze with her bright emerald eyes. And for that second of contact Sakura could've sworn she saw a flicker of emotion in those opaque, passive eyes, possibly something with a semblance of pain, and with just that unwillingly relayed emotion Sakura realised she wouldn't get her answer.

Slipping on the damned shoes, Sakura placed a hand on the arm of the chair as she moved to stand up. Of course after sitting down for such a while, she tottered as she did so, the wedge heel not doing anything to help.

Itachi watched as she wobbled, unstable with her dysfunctional legs, and reflexively his hands reached out, hoping to steady her.

However it didn't, his useless arms didn't move, and after the reflex became a move of instinct to simply help her, Itachi willed for his arms to move, willed for them to reach out and catch her before she falls, willed for them to move more than just a few inches from his side, and when they didn't it annoyed the hell out of him, angered himself at his sheer uselessness in such a way that it unnerved him how much his not being able to help her was bothering him.

Somehow she managed, she was a capable shinobi after all, and somehow she'd managed to keep herself up, with the sofa being an essential part of support. When Sakura was sure she wouldn't drop any second soon, she glanced over back to Itachi, only to see him with a slightly agitated and even distressed look upon his handsome face, and Sakura hated how this look unsettled her, she then noticed his hands stretched up a few inches in her direction, right before they casually dropped back to his sides; _was he trying to…help me…._ Sakura thought bewildered.

Hating the disturbing instinct within her screaming out to comfort Itachi, the pain gone from his features but still dregs lingering in his eyes, Sakura made a point to dispel the negative feelings surrounding them.

"You look good" she commented innocently.

Itachi's eyes refocused onto the woman standing directly in front of him, smiling ever so slightly as she complimented him as if he couldn't kill her any second he wanted.

"…but do you want some help, after all you helped me, it's only fair" she continued sounding completely platonic, as if it was so logical, that he should have already thought of it.

"…"

"Ok…then, since you don't seem like you're going to reply in this lifetime, I'll do it for you, and if you object then use your damned mouth to say so" Sakura voiced, her tone sweet yet laced with annoyance and agitation.

Itachi simply nodded as she reached out, her hands gently grasping onto the stray ends of the obi, as she carefully tucked the loose parts of the kimono in, before putting her arms around him as she threaded the belt around the back. As she leaned in, the proximity deemed for her to be close enough that she could almost kiss the small area of exposed chest if she wanted to, and with his alluring scent and adulating body, she really had to resist not to. Temptation was starting to become a real problem for her being around Itachi.

"So…" Sakura began once again, as was finishing tying the last knot on his basic belt, hoping to dissolve the lure she felt emanating from him.

"…care to explain what's going on anytime soon?" she continued in a light tone with a hint of mock sarcasm, easily dispersing the heavy atmosphere.

He sighed audibly in response this time, clearly not knowing where to begin. Itachi being the man he was didn't want to do this half assed, and if he was going to tell her, he would tell her the clear, unaltered truth, plus from what he was starting to learn about Sakura, he could tell she was someone that didn't like to be bullshitted.

Lies would only lead to confusion and distrust, and if he was going to be spending the next six weeks with this women, he did need any more complications that there already were. So he decided he was going to tell her, it wasn't anything life changing, just something she would probably want to know, perhaps to put her at ease.

"You may want to sit down, it's a long story"

The pink haired kunochi showed her surprise at his consideration for her condition clearly on her face, but complied anyway, she even went about moving the empty discarded boxes and items from the space next to her on the loveseat, and Itachi being the gentlemen he was couldn't resist.

After sitting his fine ass down, they both relaxed a little, and he cleared his voice ready to begin.

"Misa-san, the woman who greeted us earlier, is the owner of this establishment, she takes women who know no other profession, but have been discarded onto these streets, and gives them residence in this house, she then gives them option; to continue their profession- at their own will of course, but under her care or become one of the strictly legitimate geisha for this household."

Sakura's green eyes widened at this information, feeling slightly regretful of her earlier judgement and prejudice. However she didn't interrupt him, afraid he would stop giving her information so willingly if she did.

"Misa-san is half Uchiha" Itachi left the words hanging and Sakura couldn't help but intervene, since he didn't continue, obviously expecting her too.

"What…but wasn't that like, you know… not allowed… like taboo" Itachi couldn't help the shadow of a smile, at Sakura's choice of words.

"It was, the Uchiha clan liked to have their off-spring purebred, and there were no such thing as interracial marriages. An Uchiha was to marry an Uchiha, and have Uchiha offspring, that was just the way it worked, the way they preserved their so called 'honour'"

Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but seeing Itachi stop just for her, she figured it could wait, and gestured for him to continue.

He was already two steps ahead of her anyway and already knew what she was going to say.

"Yes, she was an illegitimate child. My older cousin Shisui, his father had fallen in love with someone whilst on a mission outside the village. He then left the village to live with her, and they even conceived a child together, they probably would have married as Uchiha are generally very traditional people, but couldn't as he was considered a missing-nin by then. After a while of peacefully living together in Wind, they were discovered, Misa's mother was killed, but somehow her father had managed to save her and she grew up with the acquaintances her father had made in the village. Her father who had been dragged back to Konoha, still secretly sent substance for her every so often for many years, he was truly a kind man, I still remember him even now." Itachi spoke, the ghost of nostalgia whispering past his features.

"Of course Shisui and his mother, knew about his father's previous relations and resulting off-spring, therefore in effect of that, since my father and Shisui's father were brothers, me and Sasuke too came to learn about Misa, though Sasuke has probably long since forgotten" Itachi watched with much amusement, as shock breezed over Sakura's face at his casual mention of Sasuke, and despite knowing more than she should Sakura couldn't help but be once again angry, for the briefest moment, at Sasuke for being such a dickhead at times.

"Misa came to own this establishment via her own means, and I eventually came to know her through my endeavours as Akatsuki" _Endeavouring through this kinda place_, Sakura thought sceptically, wondering but not wanting to actually know what those endeavours were.

"Its common, for members of Akatsuki to have a place of residence aside from the typical hideout, each of us has one, yet neither of us knows each others. Misa-san's place is mine, we are close acquaintances and she has harboured his room for me should I ever need to return, therefore we are safe here as not a single person knows of this place in relation to me."

"But… what about the whole 'wife' thing" Sakura cringed visibly at the very words.

"Ah that" Itachi said as if he had forgotten. "As I mentioned before, we are close acquaintances, Misa-san and I, and as she is quite a few years older than me, I hold respect for her and for the person she is, and I suspect she too holds some feelings of care towards me" Inner Sakura smirked at the prospect of Itachi even using the word 'care' in a sentence, "therefore she would not easily approve of any woman I brought in with me, unless she was related to me is some way. Simply put, if not termed as my 'wife' you would have no place to stay, and if not termed as a 'suitable' or 'believable' wife, then… well I am not exactly too sure as to what would be done, but let me just warn you Sakura, she too posses the Sharingan" Sakura couldn't help the shudder that passed through her at the very mention of the dreaded technique.

"Ok…" Sakura said with trepidation "So basically, we have to pose as a married couple, and this is all for my own good, am I right?" Sakura questioned perplexed and bewildered by the whole idea.

"That is correct" Itachi deadpanned

"… and we have to eat dinner with her tonight?"

"Yes, is that a problem" Itachi replied in monotone, said more like a statement than a question.

Sakura considered this for a moment, before deciding to throw caution to the wind, and just say what the heck and give it a try.

"Sure, no problem" she replied, giving an awkward thumbs up, not sure what else to do in such a situation.

"We should leave now then"

"Ah.. um, Itachi, hold your horses for a second there, there's bandages here so I think we should do your arms…."

After sliding up his sleeves, bandaging his arms and sealing it over with a layer of chakara, they were ready to leave for dinner. Sakura looked up at Itachi who was already standing, unsure of what to do herself.

How was she to trek through all those bloody halls again with her legs in the state they were?

_Via the Itachi-mobile of course! _ Inner Sakura chorused and at that she felt like slapping a hand on her head just to shut herself up.

* * *

Alternate scene;

"We should leave now then"

"Ah.. um, Itachi, hold your horses for a second there, there's bandages here so I think we should do your arms…."

"Sakura, this is hardly the most appropriate time to be waxing..."

* * *

A/N: Am i the only one who thinks 'do your arms' sounds like doing ure arms as in waxing them? Probably...

Anyway i apologise for this being such a draggy chapter, and i cant believe how damn long it is, i even had to split it into two chapters, therefore chapter 10 shud be coming out very soon, im just spell checking it now.

I realise the last time I updated was in December, i seriously cant believe how long its been!

Well review, give constructive criticism and what not, and even give ure thoughts on what you want to see happen, thanks for reading people :D


	10. Superbia

_Ourobors; the snake that eats its own tail..._

Pride. Aside from all other minor details that formed a weight between the two, it was their pride that built the biggest bolder. Right then it was Sakura's pride that kept her from asking Itachi for, curse the word- _help._

She just couldn't do it, or more like she didn't know _how _to do it. Sakura wasn't accustomed to asking people for help, she was a self sufficient person, Naruto was probably the only person she had relied on the past few years, and if anything most of the times Naruto had helped her without actually having her ask for it.

She stared at Itachi, wars going on between her eyes, indecisive of what to do, whilst Itachi on the other hand, was, well being Itachi, and merely stared right back at her a blank look on his face.

It took a while but eventually Sakura came to the conclusion to just _fuck it_. Obviously pride had won, leaving the weakened kunochi to pull herself up from the couch using the arm of it as support once more.

Wobbling a bit, she was still after a few seconds, feeling the blood rush through leaving a tingling numb sensation, and as Sakura stood she realised something much to her horror.

She couldn't walk.

Not a single step could those crushed legs take, sure she was standing and not in a crumpled heap on the floor, yet. However she knew that would be her if she even moved a foot, actually she also came to learn, that she couldn't even move a foot.

Itachi watched, a passive look on his face, as the struggling kunochi hauled herself up, her body trembling with the force it exerted on her strained bones, and when she finally stood, looking fairly enervated, he could easily tell even standing was becoming hard for her and as much as she tried she wouldn't be able to move, not a foot nor a step.

Sighing, he was the first to put his pride aside.

"You may use me for support" Itachi said, his silky voice not conveying a single whisper of emotion, the words said as if it didn't bother him in the least, unlike Sakura who was having serious inner turmoil over the whole stupid thing.

The second those words slipped out, jaded eyes flickered towards him, and within the next, two arms shot out grabbing onto his broad shoulders, pink hair bobbing as she just about prevented herself from crumbling to a heap on the hard wooden floor.

"Thanks…." She muttered, moving herself so they couldn't adapt a similar position to before, with her arm around the back of his waist, winding up to just about grasp onto the edge of his shoulder, she twisted her shaky hand into the black fabric, and pulled Itachi's left arm to lean over her shoulder, so they were now standing side to side leaning against each other, easy enough for Itachi to streak her along with him as they walked, and simple enough so that she wasn't pressing against his bandaged arms as they moved.

It was funny how, in any other situation the scene of the two would resemble that of a couple of lovers walking arm in arm together, leaning on each other for comfort and support, and with the sweetness of her soft body against his muscular, lean torso, the temptation was always there…

Without a word, Itachi strolled forth, moving her with him, cautious not to harm her unnecessarily in the process. Of course when they reached the doors Sakura opened them without a word, as Itachi trekked them through to the halls, Sakura thought that in some strange way it was becoming like a routine with him, and somehow his presence wasn't as unsettling to her as before.

However any comfort and peace soon dissolved into irritation and frustration with Sakura, as they made their way through endless amounts of halls and doorways, with each passing door she shoved open angrily the agitation only grew more.

"Where the hell is the place!" Sakura eventually gave into the silence, unable to hold back.

"It should be at the end of this corridor…"Itachi replied, sounding as if the whole maze of a place didn't bother him in the least, but Sakura could tell even he was unsure of where they were going.

It got to such a point that Sakura was slamming doors open at every interval that seemed like the end of a corridor, some doors even leading to empty rooms, to which she banged the door closed again, pink hairdo violently swishing with annoyance.

Itachi stayed silent throughout the whole thing, expecting one of the million doors she so aggressively pried open to lead to their destination; however he was not all that concerned with getting there anytime soon, for he was far to amused by Sakura's anger and resulting actions, _yes the pink haired kunochi was truly intriguing_.

Therefore when they approached a room with two chakara signatures in it, at the end of what very misleadingly seemed like the end of a hall, Itachi didn't bother warning the fuming kunochi, he expected her to be able enough to sense them being the capable shinobi she was, but little did he know that Sakura and chakara sensing didn't work all that well together when she was angry, in fact nothing did.

So when they reached the painted oak doors, and Sakura so unceremoniously wrenched them across, it was already too late for Itachi to warn her; plus he couldn't help but want to see the pink haired kunochi's reaction to such a thing.

What Sakura expected to be faced with was yet another empty room, instead what she was faced with was a so called geisha sprawled out across a futon with a rather startled looking man poised above her, his hands and…err…other parts all over the woman, neither were wearing any clothing of course.

Sakura blinked for a second at the horrendous scene before her, in the next second the door was slammed closed again, rattling against its hinges as her face flushed dark red.

Without a word her reluctant gaze trailed up towards the Uchiha standing stoically beside her, only to be greeted by the smug look on his face, the corners of his lips pulled up with sheer amusement, his dark eyes almost twinkling with it.

Itachi watched the young woman, bringing his gaze down to meet hers, not a slither of regret in his eyes, he watched the blood flood to her cream cheeks, turning a shade almost as dark as her hair, chagrin evident on her face.

He also watched as her humiliation transformed her earlier agitation into anger now directed at him, he could tell from the way her deep sea green eyes narrowed, and how her pink, glossed lips set into a thin irritated line, her teeth digging into her lower lip as if she was trying to refrain herself from pouncing on him.

"You… knew…" she hissed in a dark tone, and Itachi could tell that if she was assassin then she must be damn well good one, because the just look of her anger was no joke.

The words _Hell hath no wrath like a woman's scorn_ flickered through his mind for a splintered second, his mother and how shit scary she used to be when angry resurfacing from the pool of his memories.

However Sakura's vexation only served to amuse him more, and his lips pulled up into a full blown smirk.

Irritated by the Uchiha even more, especially since he looked so damn good when he smiled, Sakura turned away, ready to move on, clearly unwilling to go any further with the failing conversation.

Itachi getting the hint, turned away, moving on to the next set of doors, which Sakura very carefully and reluctantly opened this time, it took a couple more tries but eventually after much pain, anger and humiliation they made it.

Entering the room, there was a long mahogany table set inside, covered entirely with an array of all sorts of food and side dishes all garnished with dips and breads. Sakura's stomach grumbled at the cruel sight before her, her mouth already watering. Even Itachi couldn't deny the hunger he felt returning, as his eyes briefly flicked over the food before them.

Ripping her gaze away, Sakura glanced up to see Itachi incline his head slightly as he bowed to Misa-san who was also sitting at the table alongside two real geisha's.

Sakura followed suit and mirrored him, suddenly feeling stunned by the immense beauty of the women in the room, already taking on the impression that she paled in comparison to them.

Itachi on the other hand was completely unaffected by them and instead proceeded to move himself and Sakura over to the two open seats opposite from Misa and the geisha who were positioned along the right side of the table.

Slipping Sakura off into one of the first empty seats, Itachi walked around to take the other seat directly next to her. At this some of Sakura's anger dissipated as she was comforted by the fact Itachi was beside her, and she wouldn't be sitting alone in this strange new place with these people she clearly didn't know.

"Ma, Itachi-kun, it's good to see you again" Misa began, "you're looking better than before, which is always a good thing." Her gaze travelled to Itachi's arms, "I see you made use of the bandages I sent for you, I am truly sorry I didn't realise you were both so injured, otherwise I would have sent medical help for you…" she trailed of sounding regretful.

"Yes thank you they were a great help and it's good to see you again also" Itachi started, his tone more eloquent and articulate than when he talked with Sakura alone, his Uchiha manners clearly showing through. "You needn't worry about a medic, Sakura-san here is a medic-nin herself" Sakura noticed Itachi sounded almost…conversational, and maybe even praising of her, resultantly she was clearly shocked at such a spectacle.

"Ah, Sakura-san, yes if I recall correctly, you must be Itachi's wife, it is so good to finally meet you" she smiled brightly at Sakura, though the young kunochi could tell the woman was still speculative of her, still questioning Itachi's choices.

Putting on her most winning smile, even Itachi was shocked at how bright the young female appeared when she did so, with such a simple facial expression her whole outlook glowed, illuminating her sparking green eyes, only enhancing her natural beauty more.

"Yes it's nice to finally meet you too Misa-san, and might I add you've got an amazing establishment going on here, the buildings so beautiful and the occupants too of course" She gestured towards the geisha in front and Misa couldn't help smiling at the girl.

Itachi on the other hand, was suppressing a smirk, the girl was such a damn good liar, he even clearly remembered her criticism of the place earlier, yet now even he wanted to believe her with that flawless , innocent smile on her face.

However that wasn't nearly enough to prove their relationship to Misa, and Itachi knew it. Misa was a person who believed actions more than words, and only then would she be convinced.

"Why thank you Sakura, and please do call me Misa" dropping the suffix from Sakura's name as well, she said this with a smile that had yet to reach her eyes. "Now shall we begin out little feast, I have had this meal prepared especially for the two of you, so please help you self to anything you wish"

"Thank you" Both Sakura and Itachi coincidentally chorused at the same time, and they almost smiled because of it.

Sakura already too hungry for words took the initiative and stuck a pair of chopsticks into the plate of food before her. She didn't know what it was but she shoved it into her mouth anyway, hungry enough for anything to be edible, _even Itachi, _inner Sakura added, and she almost chocked due to the definitely-not-allowed thoughts she'd been having. _It was all because of that stupid dream, _she berated herself.

Then all thoughts were lost the second the food entered her mouth, whatever it was it tasted so damn good, and Sakura almost closed her eyes in pleasure at what she felt was practically a mouthgasm.

Having shoved a good portion of the food on her plate into her mouth, Sakura almost moaning in pleasure at the taste, glanced to her side, surprised to see Itachi not shovelling food into his mouth as well.

In fact when she stopped for a moment to look properly she realised Itachi wasn't eating at all.

_Oh yeah, the arms_, Sakura suddenly remembered, a wave of guilt briefly washing over her.

Noticing Misa's watchful gaze pass over them, Sakura felt she had to do something, after all Itachi did say she had to prove she was a good wife if she wanted to stay.

Putting her dignity in a little box and sealing it away, Sakura took charge, using the chopsticks in her hands instead of reaching for Itachi's own ones, she skewered what look like a piece of meat and a few other vegetables, raised the full chopsticks up and turned towards Itachi, flawless smile back in place.

"Itachi-kun say…._aaaaaa_" fluttering her eyelashes as she did so, she brought the chopsticks up, advancing towards Itachi. Of course deep inside Sakura cringed the whole while at the overtly corny action, something her dignity and sheer embarrassment would otherwise never let her do.

Misa-san on the other hand, was shocked by the action, and seeing Itachi turn towards her and (reluctantly) open his mouth, her eyes glittered, for a second overcoming her suspicion, tempted to go 'awwww' in response, but after that second the suspicion was back in place, and Misa knew she wouldn't let the girl off till she was absolutely sure. She needed proof, more solid proof.

Back on Itachi's end, when he first spotted Sakura chopsticks in hand filled with food, aiming towards him, he was well and truly horrified. For a moment he wondered where she planned to shove those chopsticks into him, but since he knew Misa was watching, the bewildered Itachi had to open his mouth and just take it, dreadful consequences aside.

He was surprised though, when the food went directly into his open mouth and not half way down his throat, or logged somewhere in the back of his eyeball. Chewing the food, qualms aside, Itachi was having a similar reaction to the first time Sakura tasted it, though of course much, more discreetly.

"Thanks…" The Uchiha mumbled, his dark voice sounding ever so slightly rough around the edges, only slight enough for Sakura who was directly next to him to pick up on.

After a while it became a sort of routine, after every few bites, Sakura would send a few mouthful's towards Itachi, and he of course could do nothing but shut up and accept it, he too with his dignity aside in a box, a very strong box, very, very tightly sealed and put someplace far, far away.

The geisha's and Misa, watching them almost crumbled into a pile of goo at the sweetness of the scene before them, and of course since they didn't know the truth behind it, it was all the sweeter.

At the end of the meal, after some light conversation, everyone was full and in Sakura and Itachi's case, stuffed. Itachi's dark eyes swivelled over to Misa who had been watching them the entire time, seemingly bought by the whole charade, but with those deep perceptive eyes of his he could tell, she was not yet entirely sold. Just a bit more, just a little more was all it would take to push her over the edge into believing them.

Biting back his pride, Itachi with no other choice went in for the kill. Knowing later on he would simply blame this all on proficiency, nothing more, nothing less.

Peering over at an unsuspecting Sakura, who now sat back relaxed in her chair, contented with the fulfilling meal as she made light conversation with the geisha across the table, in one fluid movement, Itachi leaned over, under the watchful gaze of Misa, and swopped in, inclining his head down, bringing his face forward, till his lips reached Sakura's soft skin and planted a gentle kiss on her innocent cheeks.

"Thank you" a low, dark, velvet voice pronounced against her cheek, his lips where they always were, brushing against her ear.

All conversation halted at the table that very moment, the women too immersed in the sweetness of the moment, Misa too shocked by the action and being suddenly sold, and lastly Sakura who sat unmoving, blush colouring her cheeks, shock pervading her as she watched the reaction of Misa in front of her.

Sakura knew the simple action was a demonstration for the sake of Misa alone, to bullshit her, and she knew that convincing Misa was for her own good and no one else's, but the pink haired female couldn't help the momentary lapse of control in the inside realm of her thoughts, let alone the pink hue, demurely and involuntarily colouring her cheeks.

She felt the burn of where his lips touched and for a moment regretted so much, so badly what she had got herself into, because this consequence was the worst kind of consequence she could ever see happening, and yet deep down she knew she couldn't find a single way to stop it.

_Damn I need a cigarette_, Sakura moaned deep inside, willing for something, anything, just to take her away from such cruel temptations.

* * *

A/N: continuing from chap9 of course. Erm hoped this one was more interesting, finally its done and out as I said. As a forenote(is that even a word :s) , chap 11 is going to be a main turning point, or atleast somthing good's gonna happen between the two.

Also i want to know what u guys think of the little quotes that are at the start of every chapter, esp chap 8 ;P

In chapter 11; (though honestly im not entirely sure wats gonna happen nxt, i sumtimes jus go with the flo ^_^ )

_Let the games begin;_ Where Sakura, the ever-more-sociable one, goes close to almost insanity at the lack of conversation, fishing a shogi board out of heaven knows where, she sumhow gets Itachi who is equally as bored (but just doesnt show it) to play with her. Thats how one of Konoha's number one enemies and number one shinobi end up playing games together, and soon the games move past just simple shogi. What other games does Sakura have in mind? And what does the winner get? Sakura cuts her losses and asks for what _she_ wants and Itachi who doesnt have any losses to cut, asks for what he wants to _know_ P

Well since i practically just told what happens, i prob shudnt even bother writting it now that its all spoiled, but u know what im gonna do it anyway ;P

Also i know this story seems like its going nowhere atm, but i already know what i want to happen towards the end its just the inbetween that makes it hard. Lets just say the story goes way outside of Itachi and Sakura playing husband and wife, and that there is a reason the earlier chapters were so long ass... ^_^

Thanks for the reviews, love them, they keep me writing 3

Well review, comment and gimmie ure thoughts _


	11. Mendacium

_Don't think too much, it's simple_

"Ote"

"Kinsho"

"Tsumi"

"Damn"

The word 'Tsumi' (checkmate) uttered so easily and carelessly from those taught lips pissed her off to such extent, that the urge to ram the damn king piece down his throat suddenly became overwhelming.

She wasn't pissed of at the fact that Itachi had beat her at the game, no, she was pissed at the fact that this was the nth time he'd beat her so far. No matter how hard she played, no matter which strategy, no matter how it looked like she was going to win, in the end it was always the Uchiha bastard saying checkmate, flicking her king piece of the board with that damned smug smirk of his.

It wasn't that she was shit at the game, Sakura had played against Shikamaru countless times, and sure he'd won almost every time, yet the game had never ended this quickly, even Shikamaru had given her props for her skill. The thing was Itachi seemed to beat her each time at an even faster rate than with Shikamaru.

_The bastard looks like he's not even trying!_

When the bored female had found the shogi board hidden somewhere underneath the hollow bottom of the cupboard in her search for something, _anything_ to do, she really hadn't expected things to turn out like this; with Itachi sitting opposite on the wooden floor legs crossed, book splayed open casually across his lap, as his charcoal eyes absently scanned the pages, calmly sliding his pieces across the wooden board at the same time. Without even looking he managed to beat her, hell the first time she was sure it was just a fluke, but the times after that proved not.

_Should've just left him to play without his arms,_ and yet she was sure even if he was fucking immobile he would _still_ manage to beat her.

It was almost marking the end of the third week now, with the days of travel, days of rest, days of recuperation and day of unmentionable events; it was no wonder time went by so fast. And what with the uneven-fullness of the passing days, it was no wonder they were beginning to understand each other less and less.

However today was a different day, it was the first day that the both of them could fully move and in celebration Sakura had gone in search for something to ease her never ending boredom.

What with Itachi who just sat there, stretched out across the bed, half sitting as he blankly read the scrolls on his lap. Sakura on the other hand was half way to insanity, having read almost all the books on the now seemingly insufficient bookshelf, she'd become resolute save herself before Orochimaru-style mentality kicked in.

During her search to S.O.S herself, Itachi merely sat there still reading his bloody scrolls, completely unaware or more disregarding the pink haired woman shuffling about the room, rummaging through mostly empty pieces of furniture. However he did notice the yelp of joy from her, at what his eyes very inconspicuously drifted up to find, with much dismay, was her discovery of a very old and seriously-out-of-place-what-the-fuck-was-it-even-doing-there shogi board.

On the other hand Sakura who would have been jumping for joy if not for her legs, was suddenly disheartened at the awareness of two vital prospects; One, she had no one to play with, what with it being a two player game and all.

And two, her broken legs rendered her unable sit on the floor, neither could Itachi move his arms to play with her (of course in the alternate universe that he would play with her to begin with).

That's when it came to her, as she sat her fine ass on the sofa, doing a quick medical check over her casts, she tested her latest theory, wrapping her chakara threads around her broken limbs, and providing them with a constant steady supply of chakara.

Pushing herself up, she found, as long as it was nothing vigorous she was able to move properly, the action holding not even an ounce of the pain it previously held. Predicting they would hold for at least a couple of hours as she testing out her levels of movement, completely unaware of Itachi's curious gazes her way the whole time, she took a deep breath and just about managed to walk solely through her own power, the short distance towards the bed where Itachi had very conveniently gone back to reading.

"I can make you move too" Sakura whispered tauntingly as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"The catch" he replied expectantly, not even bothering to look up from his oh-so-interesting scrolls.

"My you catch on quick Itachi-kun~" Sakura spoke, practically high on giddiness at her sheer brilliance, causing her ego to have a little more boost than usual, her tone clearly mocking and prideful

"The condition is **you** have to play with **me~"**

At her last statement Itachi merely raised an eyebrow as Cimmerian eyes framed by heavy lashes pierced her, causing her to quickly correct herself before a blush spread over her cheeks, at her rather… questionable last statement.

…

"Why are you so damn good!" Sakura unthinkingly vented, indignation getting the best of her.

"Wouldn't you like to know"

A low sound of irritation, resembling a sort of 'grrrr' emitted from deep within Sakura's throat, her eyes, now a hard, polished, kryptonite green, attempting to mind-stab him with one of her harsh glares.

After a few seconds of it, very unshockingly not working, something hit her, hit her hard like a comet. Worry not my dear readers it was an idea, yes she'd had a brilliant idea, and she could've sworn she heard the 'ding' of a light bulb going off above her head.

Recomposing herself out of her very… well… un-composed state, she pulled her best poker face, as a sly smirk crept up complacent on her face and her green gems thinned into slits with cruel delight.

Itachi mentally winced. He didn't like that look on the pretty, innocent seeming, female's face. Neither did he like the connotations that came with it, because whatever the idea she just had was, he was sure he would hate it.

"Itachi, you like a challenge right?"

His pearl black eyes narrowing at her was the only response she knew she was going to get, so she continued on anyway.

"Since this game is apparently too _easy_ for you, then let's play a…. different game"

His mouth still in a thin, tight line, he raised a half-assed questioning eyebrow back at her.

"Uno"

"Excuse me?" At this he couldn't stay quiet, his impromptu response was almost reflex, as he didn't have an idea what she was on about, and that he didn't like.

Well it wasn't as if he was entirely clueless, but what he thought she was on about he really didn't want to consider, because…seriously?

"You know the card came, with the colours, you have a hand of seven cards, take turn putting them down, first one to finish all card wins…"

"Sakura, you're a very clever woman" at those three words Sakura had to repress an honest smile "but I'm certain the game you speak of is considered a children's game-" now sounding slightly bewildered.

"My, my Itachi are you are afraid that you're gonna lose~" he couldn't help but noticed the way her tongue wrapped around the last word, innuendos and insinuations linings it with her very breath.

And it was the very way she said it that triggered his competitive side up again, he didn't show it, but Sakura knew, she knew very well from firsthand experience that all Uchiha's were competitive bastards, and just as she knew that she knew she could play on that just as well.

"-annd its not a _child's_" she said the word with clear distaste "game, it very clearly says on the pack, 'for ages seven plus', 'seven plus' means people from the ages seven and _above_ can play, meaning unless _you_ have been hiding your age all along or have somehow been mentally regressing , I believe there shouldn't be a problem" she smirked, holding her poker face in place, making sure of no way for him to weasel his way out of this one.

"Well then Sakura, why don't you tell me how you so ingeniously plan to attain this pack of cards to play with?" always concise and straight to the point, tell her something she didn't know about Uchiha's.

"Hmmm" she thought aloud, considering the prospect, she figured any normal store would stock them, even in a secluded town such as this. And since Itachi was treated like a prince in this place, she thought she might as take advantage of it.

Placing her hand on the wooden floor she pushed herself up, standing, she wobbled slightly, the threads starting to wear off.

Walking unabashedly to the door, throwing it open, she called out in her loudest, yet still laced with sweetness voice.

"Inari-saaaan~" Inari was one of the few male workers at the institute, he was young and handsome, with short brown swept over chocolate hair and strong ice blue eyes, his build tall and built, yet still lean and soft.

When Sakura first met him, without realising her mind had already began comparing him with Itachi, without knowing she had already been arguing in her mind that no, Itachi had stronger deeper, smouldering eyes, ones that you could almost get lost in, and he had waaaay nicer hair, what with it been all charcoal black and silky enough she imagined the soft shuddering feeling of running her fingers through it, and not forgetting his body … well let's just say it did a lot more for the imagination.

By the time she had realised what she was doing and what conclusions she was bringing herself to, she quickly went into rebuff mode and just about managed to convince herself she was just losing her sanity from spending so much time with the despicable man. Since he was the only male she had spent any close time with in the past few weeks it was just her mind playing tricks, over thinking, she was in no way whatsoever, attracted to the Uchiha Itachi, not even in the slightest. Nope. Not in this lifetime.

When the male eventually made it to the door in a rushed manner (Misa had put him on standby to provide to the needs and whims of the so called 'couple' staying in the room), Sakura welcomed him with a warm smile.

Coming to a stop in front of Sakura who was leaning mischievously against the open doors, with the lose kimono, showing part of a bandaged slim leg casually crossed over the other, her arms crossed under her breasts, the top of the kimono teasingly exposing a light dose of sweet cleavage.

"How may I assist you Sakura-sama" she liked the sound of '-sama' added to the end of her name. Liked it very much.

"Inari, do you think, that maybe" she stepped closer, bringing one slender, cream hand to seductively trail the lapel of the plain blue yakuta. Sakura knew what she was asking for was absurd and he would have to go out of his way to get it, she also knew that Inari was serving Itachi, not her, so she was making use of her very naturally gifted assets wisely. "could you go get a little something for me?"

"Hai, I will try my best Sakura-sama"

She smiled at the honest man, she loved the way he reacted to her, and somewhere deep in her subconscious she was irritated that Itachi couldn't, or more wouldn't, react like that to her.

Getting even closer, and stretching up on her toes, she strained her neck up to bring her lips to whisper in his ear her request.

His pale blue eyes widened slightly in confusion then understanding as he listened to her, somewhat… flustered, before nodding curtly and hurrying off down the hall to comply with her request.

Of course Itachi who sat leaned against the back of sofa, with a book open on his lap and the forgotten shogi board on the floor in front of him, could not ignore the scene playing out before him.

He didn't know why, but for some reason, he was captivated to watch the way the female worked, how she teased and controlled, what he knew to be a very strong and composed man, to wrap him so easily around her skilled little finger, to get him to do just what she wanted, it was almost primal the way women worked.

He watched the way every little movement sent the man into a frenzy, on the inside the poor man was probably close to imploding, even if he didn't show it explicitly. But she knew it, she knew very well exactly what she was doing to him.

He turned back to face his book again when she turned back around, appearing as if he was reading the whole time, when in reality the words he stared at only swarmed on the page before him, his eyes wouldn't focus, he couldn't concentrate, for some reason he just felt so…. Irritated, like an itch you knew was there but could find it to itch.

And then there was the other question, what had she whispered into his ear?

After an hour of sitting in silence, a rapt knock came on the door, and Sakura gladly got up from reading the book she had read already, making her way to the door, stumbling slightly on her way.

On the other side of the open door stood a slightly out-of-breath looking Inari. He placed the small pack into the receiving hand of a thankful Sakura, who rewarded him with a sweet, grateful smile.

Itachi's eyes flicked over to the pair briefly, curiosity taking hold of this eyes momentarily, and he noticed, Sakura slipping something she had received from Inari, into, what he suspected, to was her bra, since she had very clearly slid her hand through the barely open front of the kimono and placed that something somewhere, and Itachi couldn't deny, in some way, he was somewhat disturbed, or should I say bothered by it. What was so secretive she had to hide it, _there_ of all places.

She thanked the young man with a peck to his blushing cheek before he noticed Itachi's unknowing (to himself) glare, and hurried off back down the hall.

With a sigh Sakura lowered herself back onto the ground again, making sure to place a cushion down before her ass made contact with the discomforting wood. Wincing at the pain, which was gradually returning to her legs as she strained them to move again, she took a deep breath before beginning.

Pushing the shogi board and table aside, she slapped down the slim pack of cards between them, flicking her pink hair out of her eyes, meeting Itachi's dark ones full on with a grin and challenging sparkle burning bright in her soft jade eyes.

"Why don't we make this a little more…_fun_?"

"Because this such a bundle of joy as it is" Shock blessed her sweet face at his words, was Itachi just being, curse the word for an Uchiha, _sarcastic?_

"And what do you suggest to make this more _fun_" he said the word in the most stoic, uninterested voice, it was such a contradiction to what he was talking about, Sakura would've snorted aloud if it weren't so unladylike.

She contemplated his words for a moment…. Wait, hold up, Sakura thought, Itachi was actually _willing_ to play with her, though he may not admit it in any number of words, it was clear he was. Now she had a chance, he was giving her one, a chance to make things interesting, to get what she wanted.

_That's it, what I want!_

A wide creepy smile slid onto Sakura's face as she figured a way she could do just that.

"Itachi-kun~, the little _twist_, I suggest adding to this game" she began with trepidation "every time someone has to take a card from the deck, the opponent gets to ask for _anything _they want"

Itachi raised a perfect eyebrow at her, a challenging smirk on his own face.

"Sakura-san~, are you _really_ sure you want to do that?" he questioned, the barely suppressed power and male dominance within him surfacing.

Picking up on the hidden threat within his words Sakura could've sworn she felt her heart shudder within her chest for a moment. She knew what kind of disposition she was putting herself in, but _hell no_ was she gonna back down yet, _bitch ain't seen nothing yet._

"Oh I'm _very_ sure" she replied daringly with a seemingly innocent expression, but clearly not, in place.

Taking the pack of cards and distributing them, she split of a larger part into the deck.

"Oh and let's not start with seven, that's too easy, we'll start with eleven each, ok?"

It sounded like a question, but unmistakably wasn't, Itachi replied with a typical "hn", not really giving a shit, either way he would win, or so he believed.

Placing the starter card on the floor between them, before picking up her own hand, Sakura scanned over her cards, taking them in, maintaining her poker face. She was staring so hard at the cards, she didn't even notice she had yet to mention anything about the starting person.

"Sakura, would you like to start, since you went through _all_ of the trouble in setting this up?"

"Sure, why not" Sakura muttered sarcastically at his clearly sarcastic question.

Looking back to her hand, she picked up a blue eight, placing it on top of the blue number on the ground, before looking back up expectantly.

After Itachi played a yellow eight Sakura looked back to her cards carefully. She knew she had to play wisely, strategically. She had a few plus two's and a single plus four, which she decided would be her ace in this game, so for now she would play it safe and wait for Itachi to make his move.

However to Itachi this was just clear and simple Uno, so he went straight for the gun, and placed down a yellow plus two on his next go. Sakura stared at the card, blinked at it, then looked back up to Itachi who was staring blankly at the cards, _he really doesn't give a shit does he?_

_Fine then, _Sakura thought pulling out a green plus two countering his card with it. After staring at her reproach for the lesser part of a second, Itachi reached for the deck to pull out four cards.

Sakura stared bewildered at him, _did he really have no more plus cards?_

But when Itachi looked back up at her with a smirk on his face, she highly doubted that, he was very clearly, humouring her.

"So what shall it be Sakura, what do you _want_?"

And her reply came almost instant, without even having mentally acknowledged the thought, or even having thought of it before, the words were already out of her mouth.

"Tobacco" Sakura blurted out, the addiction clearly still strong "I don't care if it's a cigarette, a roll up, a pipe, whatever, as long as its tobacco, and no, I don't mean the plant"

Itachi smiled to himself, in some way he really wasn't shocked at her request, he'd to some extent expected it, and her sense of humour amused him somewhat.

The next time Itachi put down another plus card, Sakura realised he _did_ have more than one, and he had let her request. He realised he was giving her a chance to ask for what she wanted without the embarrassment, that or he was just really enjoying having the upper hand.

Not expecting him to lay the chance out there for her again, Sakura rebuked with a plus card of her own.

For a moment, Itachi appeared to look down at his hand and consider them, then to Sakura's disbelief, instead of placing another card down, he reached once again, for the deck.

"Err, um Itachi, you know, you can counter it…"

"I know"

She shrugged in response, not sure she really wanted to know the mental working behind the Uchiha, it seemed like he was up to something, but what, she really didn't want to know.

"Clothes" she answered the question before he could even ask it. She didn't care how he got them, or what of them he got, but all she cared about was getting them.

Though Itachi was expecting a request of something along those lines, Sakura noticed the slight widening of his eyes in horror, she was tempted to go 'hah' in response.

The next couple of rounds passed smoothly, and Sakura was forced to play a plus card when she had no other, it was either put down the card and risk it, or take from the deck and still risk it, pretty much adherent of the principle 'kill or be killed'.

Of course yet again, he didn't counter it, no this time he just smiled, or more like smirked. He smirked and looked up, meeting her gaze, curious as to what she would request next.

As Itachi pulled his two cards from the deck, Sakura considered her options. She had to be careful, almost diplomatic. Now that the essentials were out of the way, she could ask him _anything_ she wanted, it was finally her chance, she could ask Uchiha Itachi what she'd always wanted to know.

Now all she had to do was figure out what exactly that was.

His pale black eyes watched her expectantly, patiently waiting for her reply to his unanswered question. Eventually a slight gleam broke through the glazed over looked of her jaded eyes, as she found a question to his answer.

Or so it seemed like that, but then again, many people have been wrong in judging the wonders of Sakura's expressions, and this was just another one of those times.

"What's your favourite colour?"

*Facepalm*

A look of sheer bewilderness and astonishment lit Itachi's features, but in all honestly he couldn't say he was that ground-breakingly surprised, perhaps a little baffled, but with it coming from her, he was slightly more accustomed to the unpredictable kunochi she was, just as much as this whole situation .

Without giving it much thought he simply replied "Lilac" with a sort of exasperated sigh.

"Lilac?"

As irritated Sakura was with herself for coming out with such a load of horseshit, she was baffled at his honest reply. He probably thought she wasn't being serious asking that question, that or he was questioning her mental stability all over again. However within in all honesty that stupid question had been something that was really bothering Sakura, why she wanted to know, she didn't even want to think about, but something within her was compelling her to ask these stupid question, to know more about this mysterious person before her.

"yes" her disbelief at his answer was to be expected, even he didn't know why he had such a partiality with the colour, all he knew was the soft, vibrancy of it had stuck in it, since seeing it on something a long while ago.

"Hmm, interesting" she mused aloud.

To say he was stunned to find that she thought that was interesting was an understatement.

Just as casually and calmly as they had begun it, they continued on with the game. It was starting to get more heated now that their cards were lessening and their chances of pulling from the deck more possible.

_This round, _Itachi thought _lets just see how it goes_.

Deciding to just go with the flow, when Sakura played the next plus he hit it back with one of his own. This worried Sakura, as Itachi playing back meant it was his turn to ask the questions, and whatever those questions were, coming from Itachi, they were bound to be something she really wasn't prepared for, and the sad thing was, the basic principle that was drilled into her as a young shinobi was 'expect the unexpected', apparently she hadn't been thinking about that when she had instigated this game.

After retorting back with another two plus to which Itachi rebuked back both, Sakura looked down, a remorseful expression on her face, she had only one plus two and one plus four left, if she used them now she was sure Itachi would have enough pluses to oppose them, after all he did have more cards than her.

Taking her chances, throwing her luscious pink hair over her shoulder, which had to begun to form a curtain over her face in her concentration, and telling herself to relax, and not think to much, she reached over to the deck to pull out the accumulated number of cards, much to Itachi's undisguised, amused delight.

Placing his cards on the floor, he brought his eyes up to face her, cocking his head to the side, docking his typical Itachi-smirk, brows raised in amusement, he asked the question he'd wanted to ask since the day he'd met her. Without even knowing he wanted to ask it, it just slipped from his lips before he could even reconsider it.

"How?" the single syllable word uttered through the silence, in his deep, articulate voice, holding some level of intensity to it, left a slight tense ring through the heavy air.

It was weird, but somehow the second Itachi uttered that word, some deep instinct triggered within Sakura, reminding her of a past incident, and from that she knew what he was talking about. She didn't know how, she just _knew_.

And as much as she wished she didn't, she couldn't avoid it, she was in no position too, she had instigated this game herself, she should've have know something like this would inevitably happen. And maybe deep down she did, maybe she wanted this, no one could tell, least of all herself.

Unable to hold his strong gaze any longer with the current thoughts running through her head, she dropped her shimmering eyes, focusing her line of sight on some imagined pattern within the oak flooring.

Waiting for the classification she knew he would give, Sakura worried about the ghastly turn this conversation was taking.

It was clear as day, the change in her complete demeanour was, what he'd said had affected her somewhat, had invoked some thought he would make her share, even if he had to force it out of her.

"How did you seal Sasuke?" the concise statement was so clear and straight to the point, that the fleeting flicker of emotion on Sakura's face was almost instant. In the seconds her composure faltered, Itachi was sure he saw nothing but pain laid there.

She knew what he was going to say, knew it with every fibre of her being, but somehow when he said it, it felt like a hard slap to the face. Like a loud splash in still rain, the images the ripple bought with it, resurfaced, flashing through her vision like lighting, the disturbing visage, burning holes in her heart all over again.

As if to block the throbbing pain in her head, a hand instinctively went up to rest its palm on her forehead before streaking shakily through her long pink tresses. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, and be sure her voice wouldn't shake, she bit her lip in contemplation in how to go about answering his question.

It wasn't fair, why couldn't he just ask her favourite colour, that would be a no-brainer one worded answer, but this, this was the length of a life story, holding an intensity she didn't even want to find out if she could handle.

She'd spent so long building up that barrier, so many assassinations to just forget, so many nightmares that had stopped since then, she wasn't going let it all crumble within a second. Not just from a couple of words he said.

"How" she began, with an exasperated sigh, suddenly feeling the weight of worlds anchoring her down "honestly, even I don't know… I mean I've thought about it a million times over, and I've come up with a million theories, but how I actually did it, I don't even know myself, I only know why" not matter how she tried to hide it a slight tremor pricked the wavelength of her voice, and her eyes drew closed, her face contorted with barely concealed pain. She didn't know why, but in front of Itachi, it suddenly became increasingly hard to hide.

"It was just… instinct….to protect" she finished, unable to continue anymore.

Itachi watched the kunochi in front of him, when he had first met her and all those times after, she had seemed so strong, so composed, so formidable, if not albeit clumsy in her ways. But now, now she seemed so vulnerable in front of him, and as much as he wanted to protect the secrets of the Uchiha clan, as much as he wanted to extract any information posing threat she knew, as much as he was willing to force it out of her if necessary, but now, now he regretted even asking the question in the first place. He felt he'd pulled on a plug containing, not sad memories but more painful, disturbing memories, and that stinging look of pain that was displayed on such a strong shinobi's face was what made him regret it most.

When Sakura had composed herself enough to stop the vitriolic flow of memories flooding her conscience, she reluctantly opened her eyes to find Itachi had already placed the next card. He wasn't asking her for more, he wasn't probing for information, and for that she was unfathomably grateful.

The next person to take from the deck was once again Sakura, this time she hoped the question wouldn't be so challenging.

"Hmmm… Sakura, you are very formidable kunochi, why don't you work on the front lines or even the council. The only time you participate in the battlefield is alongside Naruto, apart from that you concentrate on assassinations, why?"

"ha, you sound so stalkerish right now" she laughed aloud, knowing full well the only reason he knew those things were because he was a part of Akatsuki, how could she forget, it was practically written on his forehead. Yet, at the same time she felt some form of relief that this was a question she could easily answer.

"I don't want to be part of such a corrupt empire, I protect those I want to protect, I kill those I want to kill, nothing more, nothing less." She stated simply, the single principle she'd lived by these past few years, however she knew there were many holes to it.

Itachi would've snorted aloud if his pride didn't prevent him from doing so. If only he'd lived by such a principle in his youth, life could be so much different than it was now. Or perhaps either way it would've been the same, karma's a bitch that way.

"As for the assassinations, they help me…forget." She added as an afterthought in such a quiet tone it was as if she'd said it to herself.

"Now Sakura it's no good to keep running away"

"Speak for yourself" his eyes narrowed into thin slits at this, and she simply raised her eyebrow back challengingly.

"Your turn" Itachi's gaze flitted back to his almost empty handful of cards, figures for the Uchiha to be the sensible one. He was so different from his brother in so many ways, if this were Sasuke thanks to her last statement, they would be in a full out brawl by now.

After using so many pluses to counter each other, and since there aren't many in the pack to begin with, Sakura had the last plus to use, being her second last card.

Placing her second last card down, she shouted "Uno" within the next, if albeit, too fast, she was obviously now doing anything to avoid the questions.

Itachi smiled subconsciously at her eagerness to avoid his questions, that very smile shocked Sakura when she saw it, it was almost tender, she didn't know what it was aimed at, but when he lost the whole intimidating Uchiha façade, he was almost… handsome, and somewhat appealing.

Mental slapping herself of that train of thought, she faced Itachi, determination burning bright, almost gleaming emerald eyes.

"When this is all over, at the end of these six weeks, fight me, for real l-" she said it more like a demand, rather than a request or question, but she knew what she wanted, and she would get it, it would be best for the both of them, because without either of them realising it, they were getting closer, becoming more relaxed and less suspicious of each other, it would be best for the both of them if the departed on less-than-civil terms with each other.

A short harsh laugh was heard from where Itachi sat, but within a second it was elsewhere, and Sakura who had unknowingly let her guard down, was now pressed up, hard, against the wall all the way across the room. He had moved so fast, she hadn't even seen him stand from his sitting position, and with the speed he came at, when he slammed her against the wall, she felt the air being knocked out of her, causing her to choke and gasp before she could catch her breath again.

Instead of loosening his hold on her neck to make it easier for her to breathe, instead he pressed against her harder. With his hand around her neck, and his other with one of her wrists pinned against the wall, their bodies were in very close contact with each other, close enough the space between them was almost tangible with their body heat.

To make matters worse, Sakura's reactions were only fast enough for her to get one hand twisted into the front of the kimono he wore, it should've been threatening, with how easily she could otherwise pull him across because of it, but it only served to bring them closer.

Bringing his head closer still, his long raven locks pooled across her face as he brought his lips to her ear.

"What makes you think you can fight against _me_." He whispered deep in her ear, his hot breath tickling the delicate skin, naturally making her head turn away from the burning sensation, lessening the space between their faces.

What was meant to be an intimidating statement was lost in that space, or lack off, between them. His voice had dissolved any fear, replacing it with desire, and his words hadn't the harsh effect he'd intended with their proximity and her sweet, almost edible scent pervading him.

Graphite eyes simmering with some untold emotion met the gleaming jade without hesitation. Everything was forgotten as their heads shifted unknowingly, causing their lips to brush, their resolves to flutter. It would take just one, just one of them to give in to the forbidden, and all would be lost, the other dragged down to hell with them.

The heavy desire and attraction was almost palpable, and Itachi looked at Sakura in a different way than he had before. Something was compelling him, tempting him cruelly to run his fingers through her silky bubblegum hair, stroke the side of her small heart-shaped face, dominate those plump pink lips.

As for Sakura, her thought process was no longer something that could be put down into words, but if it was, the only possible translation would be something along the lines of;

'_Fghkjskjd92e2u9e"%%£F$%G%^"daqdsDWFp[pxhkla;!'_

Desire was always harsh on youth, and now it was challenging them, virtually taunting and torturing them.

Somewhere within his ten folds of self control, Itachi found it within himself, to drag his eyes away from governing hers, just for a second, they slipped down to focus on the wall behind her, his eyebrows knitted in concentration.

And that was all Sakura needed to regain control over herself. Taking a deep breath, she literally, mentally pushed herself off the thought temptation train to hell, regaining her composure she jumped of her mental train tracks before the train of desire could slice through her.

She blew out a deep breath she hadn't even realised she'd been holding, dispelling the crazy atmosphere within a second, being the single sound that broke the silence.

She opened her mouth, hoping for coherent, actual words to come out.

"You know what you are Itachi"

Her voice barely shook, and her words gladly brought Itachi back to the conversation that had started this off in the first place.

"What" he muttered, if a little harshly.

"You're what people call a Sadist"

"…"

"What" after moments of silence Itachi turned to her brows furrowed in disbelief and bewilderment.

"Exactly that, you take pleasure from torturing people, you can't not do it, it's like in your nature. Even Sasuke, he is a prime example of just that, you bully him a little more than what a hateful push consists off, you just can't help _enjoy_ watching him writhe in pain" She shook her head in mock disappointment "Its creepy Uchiha, really creepy"

Itachi's eyes narrowed into thin slits at Sakura's words pertaining Sasuke.

"Oh I know, I know a lot more than you think I know, Itachi-kun~"

Just as Itachi's hand tensed, grasping tighter on his hold of Sakura's neck, which had loosened considerably during their little 'moment', just as he thrust her harder against the wall, Sakura dropped to a crumpled heap on the ground, and Itachi's hand, arm and everything with it, fell back, limp to his sides, back to being useless, the effect of the chakara threads entirely worn off.

"Well I guess that's it for us" Sakura muttered from her sitting position on the floor, her back against the wall, her body exhausted.

It was nearing the middle of the night and the two were starting to get edgy and irritated, with all that was going on between them only fuelling it.

Itachi turned away from her, walking back across the room.

"I won't fight with someone who is so weak, it's a waste of my time" his voice uncaring, his words harsh and arrogant.

Sakura was close to snapping at this point, there was only so much shit she could take from the Uchiha, no matter how attractive him and his body were. And she was scarily close to her boiling point.

"What the fuck is wrong with you Uchiha? Who shoved a pole so far up your ass"

"Don't your parents ever tell you not to use such vulgar language" Itachi retorted, throwing his head over his shoulder, shooting a glare her way.

"Their dead" she spat angrily.

Looking away from him, she tried pulling herself up using the wall for support, but her legs were too shaky, they couldn't hold her anymore, she'd exerted way too much pressure on them.

Itachi instantly regretted his words, his anger quickly dissipating. He turned around, walked over to Sakura, placing one worn and unsteady arm under her legs and one supporting her back, he pick her up, shocking the woman, and surprising him with her light-weightlessness.

"What are you doing, put me down! I don't need your sympathy, I don't need your help!"

Itachi walked over to the bed and placed her down gently on it. Sakura was a little taken aback by this; on one of the first nights staying here, Sakura had taken the initiative, and had gone and ripped the bed sheets in half, taking one half with her she had gone and slept on the sofa, fitting snugly into it, using her half of the bed sheets to cover herself. She'd slept this way ever since and Itachi hadn't said a word, he'd just slept on the bed, using the remaining half of sheets left there.

After placing her on the bed, he turned away, strolling lethargically towards the sofa to spend the night there.

As he turned off the lights, his gentle, silky voice stunned the silence.

"Sorry"

…

After several moments of lying in the dark heavy stillness, Sakura's soft almost melancholy voice drifted over to Itachi, still wide awake, sprawled out on the much-to-small sofa, his legs dangling uncomfortably over the edge.

"Itachi…"

In response, Itachi's simple "hn" confirmed his awakeness.

"… I have another request… since after all, I did win" her voice was light and barely echoed through the stillness of the breezy night.

"hm" mentally Itachi dreaded her following request, because whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

"I want a cat"

Yep, he was right on that one.

* * *

A/N: its bn a while since i last updated, i was really pedantic to make this chap up to standards but I'm not so sure about this chapter, idk if its good enuf ~_~

nyways, i just spent 4hours+ editing over this chapter, meaning it actually took me longer to spell check and what not than it actually took me to write it =_="

Still fuck yeah! 14 pages for this one, longest chapter yet! meaning i only read over once, so expect mistakes, buuuut if there are some reallly confusing mistakes plz do say so i can edit. eeermmm what else, oh yeah, there are some words that dont actually exist but ive added them in bcuz i cudnt find ny other words to describe like they did :)

Hrrrrm, as for the crackness of this chapter, since it was so long i didnt write all in one go, it started of with me listening to Dara- Kiss and thats the one song i really associate with the couple, but then i was listening to Suju M- super girl like it was crack, then Zhoumi Miss Chic. so basically expect severe cases of randomness and jumpiness within le story.

ohhh yeah chapter 12;

hmm i not entirely sure yet, i think its going to be gearing more towards some more real-time itasaku and possibly with some interference from Misa-san to give to them what's perfectly missing in their 'marriage', but frm this chap im sure u can guess whats going to happen next, possibly chap 12 or 13 will see some change of setting. Idk ive been practically drowned by work recently and failing my exams, so it was reaaalllly hard finding time to write, but i'll try making the next chapters shorter so they come out earlier :)

KUDOS TO THE PEOPLE THAT REVIEW, THIS CHAPTER IS FOR YOU PEOPLE ^_^


	12. Distance

_The face you'll never get to see_

From that day on everything was different, his questions had pervaded her, made her feel like he had entered some deeper part of her psychosis that no one else was allowed to enter.

She felt exposed, revealed, unravelled, exploited, like she'd just stripped off and ran around naked in front of him, because that was always what she felt when someone had seen the feelings and emotions she'd always worked so hard to hide, being the reason why no one ever witnessed them in the first place. She'd been ace in self-control and composure in every way, so now, why of all times was it faltering?

Reality fluttering in, disturbing those few moments of random thought and contemplation that usually occur seconds after waking, Sakura felt something wet and slippery slide along the side of her pink cheek.

Something or someone was…._licking_ her?

Instantaneously she froze unable to move. Why hadn't she noticed this till now? Sure she'd had her eyes closed, and was in deep thought following a rather… reoccurring dream, but seriously she was meant to be a renowned kunochi in the shinobi world, yet she hadn't even noticed this till now.

Actually she was now somewhat, afraid, to open her eyes, afraid of what she would have to face, because, for some bizarre reason, probably having something to do with this weird dream she kept having, she suspected the tongue that was, by the way, still licking her, to be… _no it couldn't_, it wasn't possible, she shook her head, trying to rid herself of the contagious images, causing the tongue to dip further down her cheek, slithering around the crook of her neck.

Now that she thought about it, the tongue was pretty small wasn't it.

But before she had any time to act on the thought, logic sifted through and her hand shot out within an instant, grabbing tightly onto the neck of whatever was so candidly licking her.

Turning on her side, she pulled her slender hand, which was now wrapped around something she noted to be very hairy, very hairy indeed, definitely in need of a shave.

_Wait_, her fingers shifted around the tiny neck it held, noting it to be not so much hairy, but more... furry?

Her eyes flew open as soon as she remembered she actually had them, her brain not so functional early in the morning. Blinking ridiculously and squinting spastically from the harsh morning light glaring in from the window above the bed(which she really wasn't yet used to being there), she'd thought she'd seen some hella weird shit in her past few weeks staying there, but what she now laid her sparkly green eyes on was perhaps one of the maddest, most ludicrous, sights yet, and that was saying something.

And in response to her absolutely bewildered expression, it simply meowed back at her, as if to say 'damn straight sister, both you and me'.

"And you claim _I_ hang puppies and stew them for dinner…"

Itachi muttered from somewhere across the room, reminding Sakura that she still had her hand wrapped tightly around the poor kittens neck.

Before even thinking of releasing it, she brought it closer to her face, not quite believing the sight before her.

She stared straight into its apple green eyes, jade meeting jade, remarking how resemblant its almost marble eyes were to her own. That was of course until the feisty little thing reached out a paw and struck her right across the face, slicing three tiny cuts through her nose.

Allowing its release in her sudden yelp of shock and pain, the small thing writhed free, scurrying of, surprisingly not away from Sakura, but under the covers, getting itself comfortable, unfazed by the presence of the woman who just had her hand round its throat.

Shaking of her annoyance, drawing one finger over her nose, healing the wound, Sakura shoved a hand under the ripped covers, ruffling around for the small furry thing.

Catching it by its waist more gently this time, Sakura brought it out to examine.

Doing a quick once over, she was surprised to find it a completely normal, healthy, un-tampered with kitten.

It was still very young and Sakura noticed it was female, with soft black silky fur, which she couldn't stop running her hands through, and bright potent, green eyes.

After petting the thing for a long while, unable to stop herself, what with it purring so softly, its throat gently rumbling under her hand, she suddenly stopped, noting something almost familiar within it.

She stared hard at it for a moment, cocking her head to the side, scrutinising the strong black fur and green eyes heavily.

_Ah! That's it! That's what it is! _Sakura couldn't suppress the gentle hint of laughter that escaped her very mellow countenance a calming change for once.

Smiling to herself, she slid her legs over the edge of the bed, looking up to find a pair of crutches leaning casually against the wall. Fervently she grasped onto them, gladly pulling herself up, grateful for them, the lack of pain only lightening her mood even more.

After making her way over to the bathroom door, she noticed a pile of female clothing folded up on the table beside it.

Turning around with the aid of the crutches, she glanced over to Itachi who was casually sprawled out uncomfortably on the sofa, more books spread around him.

With a smile on her lips, she grabbed the pile and placed it under her arm, grateful for the first change of clothes since the kimono she was initially given, before entering the bathroom, using the crutches to open and close the doors.

...

Emerging from the shower, and slipping on the new purple and baby blue kimono, she reached for the crutches once again, happily relying on them, as she made her way out, pink hair dripping wet down her shoulders, onto the small fluffy pink towel that rested there.

Exiting the bathroom, the first thing she noticed was the adorable kitten, still curled up snugly under the covers, basking in the warmth of the morning sunlight.

Smiling, feeling relaxed since the first time coming here, perhaps because of the cat, she called out to it.

"Satchi-chan, come here~~" she cooed lovingly, causing the kitten to raise its head and look questioningly towards her, despite it being the first time for Sakura using that name.

Itachi, however who was fully immersed in his books (or so he liked to think), looked up baffled by the sudden weirdness going on around him.

"S…Satch..i?" he questioned somewhat befuddled, somewhat bemused. He'd expected some cutesy pet name like neko-chan or some shit like that, but Satchi, what… the.. hell… was that even.

Sakura on the other hand was clearly satisfied by the name and answered without hesitation.

"Yup, cute isn't it"

"And may I ask why"

Sakura laughed somewhat to herself before responding.

"Look at it, doesn't it look like some kind of freaky love-child from between you and I"

Itachi looked at it, really looked at it this time.

Shit, she was right. It was creepy and amusing at the same time, he just hoped, that in the one in a million chances they ever did have a love-child, it wouldn't be a black cat, _oh heavens please no_.

"Weird woman…" she heard him mutter before he turned back to his books, unable to keep up with the crazy pace of the conversation.

After settling down on the bed, halfway between petting the cat, which Sakura now declared to herself she officially loved and should have gotten ages ago, and drying her hair in the sunlight at the same time, Itachi broke the silence.

"Misa-san would like us to join her for dinner once again"

Of course Sakura knew what this entailed, already reminiscent of their first act as a married couple.

"Fine" Sakura uttered, too elated by the reward of the kitty to care.

Little did she know, she should have cared, cared alot.

* * *

Pining her hair tight, having primed herself to perfection, Sakura slipped on the slightly heeled shoes, before heaving herself of the edge of the bed, leaning on the crutches for support.

Making her way over to the sofa where Itachi sat, already ready, not a strand out of place, not a crease in his kimono, Sakura approached him as she did every day for their daily healing session, however today with a little more trepidation than usual.

After completing his daily dosage of healingness, having already done her own, Sakura offered Itachi chakara threads to keep his arms functioning for the dinner.

He accepted, of course, not even Sakura wanted to go through the whole process of feeding him again, it was just too…. She really had no words for it.

Having healed and threaded him, Sakura clearly hadn't enough chakara to thread herself as well, the previous days threading and healing proving too much of a strain on her already worn body, so she quietly decided to stick to the crutches, not bothering Itachi with the extra details.

But he knew. Naturally he knew, this was Uchiha Itachi. And it vexed him, it irritated him so much that the girl was just so damn, fucking nice!

He couldn't understand, whether it was the fact he was just a patient to her therefore he came first, or it really was just in her nature, whichever she was way to considerate, and it bothered him, bothered him very much, because as a shinobi she shouldn't be like this.

It was hard for him, not facing the ruthless, cold-blooded Sakura. Facing the real her, her real honest relaxed self, be it clumsy, soft, cute, weird, silly, temperamental or even rash, all of them which he had come to know as her, destroyed his view of her, or more how he _wanted_ to view her.

By keeping her guard up and being the assassination person she was, it had been easier for him to hate her, to keep it platonic, to remember her sense of duty and the person she was, but now, with the guard she had let down without realising it, he was at a loss as to what to do, knowing the fight that was to come was only going to get harder at this rate.

Still he bit his lip, held the door open for her, kept his hard glare in place, unwilling to let a single emotion slip by, and soil his face, soil her. He resisted the strong urge to wrap his arm tight around her waist, pick her up and prevent her from having to suffer hobbling by on those crutches.

Arriving at the oak door to main dining room once more, this time they stopped before entering.

The whole journey (yes it was such a bloody trek it could be considered a journey), but snippets of barely civil conservation had passed between them, now, simultaneously they had come to a silent halt, both reminiscing the dangerous events of the last time they passed through this door way.

Turning towards the nervous looking woman, Itachi wanted to slap her for the vulnerability shown on her face, she shouldn't be allowed to look like that, _troublesome woman_.

Her pink brows furrowed in contemplation as her eyes battled wars between them, unease clear in her demeanour, suddenly afraid the crutches wouldn't keep her shaking legs up no more. She briefly glanced to her right, hoping to find solace in the harsh stoic glare of the impassive Uchiha, hoping his indifference would reassure her and burn her unease and uncertainty of what lay in store for them.

For once, Sakura saw a side of the man she had never, ever expected to see.

Unease. A perplexed expression was plastered on his face in the seconds she looked up, he was contemplating something, seemingly coming to no conclusion as his face for once clearly displayed anguish and anxiety.

Suddenly the disconcerting expression dissipated just as soon as she had laid eyes upon it. His features smoothing out back to impassiveness, and after spending weeks with him, Sakura read that as him coming to some sort of conclusion.

Reaching out, the arm which she had healed brought a hand to trail across her cheeks, as seemingly soft as a caress, as his long fingers, gently brushed a strand of pink from shadowing her gleaming eyes, tucking it carefully behind her ear, she heard two words she would never have ever expected or even wanted to hear from the man.

Because those two words would have been the death of her, with the sickly twist their warped deal was beginning to take.

"Don't worry"

Without another word he slid the door open, entering the room without hesitation, she watched the back of him, pain labouring her heart, constricting her chest with each throbbing breath.

As she followed him inside, she felt a twinge settle there, knowing it wouldn't elevate, not for a hell of a long time, and how she wished she hadn't gotten herself into this in the first place, was she even ready for this?

Did she even have a choice in that?

* * *

After a rationally peaceful dinner, Misa dropped the milestone they knew was going to come. The very reason the pair had been anxious in the first place, and now it was being revealed to them.

Itachi knew Misa, knew Misa well, and frankly at first he didn't care much for whatever interferences she was going to make between him and Sakura, because at the start he knew it wouldn't make a difference, after all this was _just_ a contract, a mutual contract for safety, after six weeks it would be over. From the start he knew Sakura hated him, and honestly he didn't care much for her either, then he didn't worry about the implications Misa's interferences would have as he knew they wouldn't make a difference, but now, now he worried, worried because he knew as well as hell burned with fire that they did.

And now was the moment she was going to drop something that seemed perfectly normal to her, but was severely harsh on them.

To her it was only natural that couples have it, to them the thought had never crossed their minds.

"Sakura-san" Sakura looked up from her empty plate, not noticing the tense air that had settled around them, completely oblivious whilst she enjoyed her food.

"Yes" she replied smiling sweetly.

"Your marriage to Itachi-kun here, is it valid?"

The spoon clanked as it hit the empty bowl, having slid from her faltering hands, the question taken her by pure shock.

"Huh?" she questioned, no other logical response possible.

"I notice, you don't wear a wedding ring, and you go by Haruno Sakura, I'm curious Sakura-san do you even have a marriage certificate to validate this relationship" She questioned sceptically, raising an eyebrow.

Sakura stayed silent, unable to answer, worried she would just crap everything up, not wanting to end up with no place to go nor living on the streets in her weakened condition.

"No" Itachi enunciated clearly, his low, melodic voice ringing through the silence.

Misa turned to Itachi questioningly, whilst Sakura could only stare at the fallen spoon on her plate, her heart feeling the exhaustion of a thousand years all over again.

"Due to our… circumstances, Sakura and I were never able to validate our marriage with a certificate, religiously was the only manageable possibility we were able to accomplish" he lied smoothly, his voice holding such sincerity and authority even Sakura wanted to believe him "As for the ring, there was never the time"

A wide smile broke out across Misa's face, this was why she loved Itachi for the person he was, his dedication, he would never let a person go down alone, no he would go down, be it even to hell, with them.

"Well you have the time now" she replied tauntingly.

O/O

…

* * *

A/N: slipped in a short chap whilst I could, still busy, wish me luck for exam time :)

Next chap is the end of the beginning :P

Btw im unsure bt the next chap, like i kno wat will happen after, but its the nitty gritty bits inbetween i find hard, u get? Wat YOU wanna see, feel free to suggest ;P

Thnxs for all reviews btw ;)

**Check my profile for updates!**


	13. Verisimilitude

Sakura was drowning.

She was sure of this fact the second her back hit the water.

The second she forgot how to live.

It was a simple enough task, strip of the pretty purple flowered kimono she wore, grab the washing basin and settle onto one of the various smoothed rocks circling the inside of the onsen.

Misa had warned her it was deep, and she _had_ tried to be careful, but somehow fate had decided to laugh at her today of all days, all starting with this.

She'd managed to comically slip on her own soap bar, stumble backwards and collide heavily with the steaming water, going under, still fully dressed.

At first she tried to resist, she struggled to reach the surface. But her legs failed her once again. She had been confident enough in their level of recovery to leave her crutches in the changing room and had managed to just about walk to the onsen edge almost flawlessly.

However when faced with the strong deluge of water, almost purposely wrenching her down, she found the renewed pain in her legs, the weight dragging against them, rendering her unable to kick her way back to surface.

She could have tried harder using her arms to draw her up. She could have forgotten the pain and forced her legs to move. She could have used chakara and made everything a hell of a lot easier for herself.

She could have. But when it came down to it, she found her mind had gone completely blank, and that she really, really couldn't be bothered anymore.

_Why make an ass out of myself and rise to the surface,_ she challenged coming to the conclusion to just shut up and die, _sure was easy enough_.

As she descended into the darkness, enveloping her from the back almost pulling her in, she watched the surface of the water, watched the light pool in, shooting tunnels of clear yellow into the green darkness.

As her mind began flickering into unconsciousness, seeping between realities, somewhere between them she saw the surface of the water break through.

Erupting from the shroud of light, she could have sworn she saw an angel reach through the darkness towards her.

An angel that held a scary resemblance to a certain Uchiha Itachi.

_I must really be losing it, Itachi-the-Angel_, she though wryly.

Just before she sank entirely into oblivion, she vaguely wondered what in the blue hell was Itachi even doing here.

Seconds after she didn't even feel the water fall from around her, the air return to the surface of her body.

Her back was laid against the warm, wet ground gently, almost hastily, and slowly Sakura not entirely yet dead nor unconscious but somewhere between was resurfacing.

She felt two strong, careful hands clasped together, pumping rhythmically the base of her chest where her heart lay.

Somewhat conscious, yet not yet breathing, she was vaguely aware of her surrounding though not yet able to fully take them in or acknowledge them.

The two hands reached over, one to pinch her nose slightly, the other tilting her head back, holding her mouth open.

Itachi's mouth lay a millimetre from hers, just about to give her the kiss of life, when suddenly fate decided it was time to laugh at her, yet again.

At the exact moment she felt his hot breath against her cold lips, consciousness fully came back to her, returning her to the cold, wet, hard surface.

She coughed and spluttered water into his mouth instead, as her body reflexively convulsed, choking on the very substance she wished would have just drowned her instead.

Itachi's soft, large hand then turned her to her side like she was already trying to, rhythmically patting and rubbing her back and she coughed and vomited out all the water in her lungs._Dammit_, she cursed. _Why can't I just pass out normally like other people!_ _Damn fucking medic-nin chakara and stamina. Damn not being able to escape reality like that. Dammit._Sakura cursed inwardly as she continued to choke, vaguely aware of the position she was in; lying on the floor, soaked completely through, spluttering up water, under the watchful gaze of the probably very unimpressed Itachi.

Suddenly feeling very dizzy and feverish from all the coughing, she returned to her back with a splat and met Itachi's gaze for the first time.  
Beneath the stoic mask a trace of concern lingered, right before her body reflexively reached out to smooth it away, she finally slipped into unconscious.

_Great, thanks, keep laughing at me why don't you._

* * *

Sakura returned to reality as Itachi gently deposited her wet ass onto the edge of a very big, soft bed.

The two large hands which had saved her life were now rested one on her shoulder keeping her upright and the other at the back of her head, preventing it from lolling back as he kneeled in front of her.

He remained that way till a few minutes had passed and her eyes fluttered open, registering her surroundings. They were in the room, which she guessed, Misa had designated for them, as their wedding bed for tonight.  
After setting the wedding date a couple of days ago, Misa had made the couple sleep in separate rooms, to comply with tradition, so Sakura hadn't seen him save for the few healing sessions.

After assuring she was awake and fine, Itachi's hands hovered around her shoulders momentarily after he had let go. Then he got up, still wet from saving her, and tossed a white fluffy towel at her, pointing to the bathroom door, without a glance back at her as he muttered something about getting her clothes as he walked through the bedroom door, leaving her alone.

Sakura sat in silence for a while, pondering on his swift exit before promptly recalling the state of her clothes, a fear sprouting along with it.  
And sure enough, her fears were confirmed. The purple kimono was completely soaked through and even open and exposing in some places. The thin material now entirely see-through clearly displayed the delicate deep violet lace bra and panties, which Misa had insisted she wear for 'tonight'.

Blush coloured her cheeks as she quickly got up, grabbing the towel and hurriedly hobbling over to the bathroom, forgetting to lock the door behind her in her haste.

Placing the towel on the edge of the tub and stripping off, Sakura looked around herself partially in a daze at the lavish bathroom she was in.

Slipping into the bathtub now filled with steaming water, shivering as the liquid encased her being, Sakura sat down entirely in the large porcelain tub, the water completely covering up to her chin.

The scorching heat did something to bring back her senses and Sakura washed mechanically as her thoughts raved on.

Suddenly everything became shockingly real to her. Tonight she was to marry Itachi, that she didn't mind so much, she'd already accepted the fact she was never going to find someone compatible with her and had long since given up on love let alone marriage. At least this way she'd have something on her track record to say she'd tried it once before. There were of course other niggling reasons in the back of her mind she tried not thinking about.

It wasn't marrying Itachi that'd worried her, it was what Itachi had planned to do about it. Since they'd never had a chance to discuss the matter, she could only guess at what was going on in his mind, and with what she'd come to know as Uchiha Itachi that had _never_ been easy. If she were being honest with herself, it worried her somewhat, did he plan to go through and sign the certificate tonight? Was she to sign it herself? Itachi had managed to tell her right after Misa had dropped the bombshell on them, that the choice was hers. But what if they _did_ both sign it? What then? After do they forget it ever happened? Doesn't Itachi ever want to get married himself without _this_ in the way? And what does he plan to do about 'tonight'?

Much as she'd like to deny it, the last two questions worried Sakura most, repeating in her mind like a bad burrito.

The next reality, which she knew was coming closer each day, and more than anyone she of all people kept a clear track of this, was that her time in this place was coming to an end soon.

Tomorrow to be precise would be their final day. The healing had been quicker than expected despite the unpredictable quirks on the way. And when thinking about it technically she didn't have to go through with this wedding thing as she could probably escape tonight, but then again there were three things stopping her; one she'd just almost drowned and clearly wasn't feeling all shipshape. Two, _hell no_ would she want to incur the wrath of the mighty Uchiha Itachi. And three, she felt it was only out of respect for Misa's hospitality that she goes through with the lie till the very end.

However these were all easy thoughts, what troubled Sakura most of all, was the reality that the previous reality had brought about.

She would have to return home.

To Konoha.

She would finally have to face the truth.

She would have to face it _all_. Who else precious to her had been taken away from her during the ruthless attack on Konoha, whether her Shishou whose chakara she'd felt disappear had survived, whether Kakashi-sensei who'd been fighting in the midst of the battle had survived, whether Konoha itself had even survived.

Whether Naruto had survived.

And the thought alone, of her best friend who'd finally made hokage, her brother, not having survived, was enough to make her go into mental hysteria.

The scene of returning to Konoha only to feel like a foreigner in her own home once again was too much to bear.

And throughout restoring her body temperature with a bath, and washing her long pink locks thoroughly and even drying herself down and wrapping herself in the fluffy towel, all that revolved round her head was one thought.

Had Naruto her only family _left_ survived?

The thought latched on to her mind, even as she sat on the edge on the tub unaware she was doing so, and before she knew it, her small hands were open in her lap, jade eyes staring at the stains of blood that she was never able to wash away. The stains of the blood of those she loved.

Everything blacked out around her and all she saw was the crimson marks on a pale backdrop, all she heard was her own screams in a memory from the distant past, all she smelt was the stench of blood, all she tasted was the metallic tang burning her tongue, all she _felt_ was the blood on her hands draining life away from her.

She was reliving those still raw, painful memories all over again as they sprang into her conscience invading it, captivating reality.

She was lost in them.

So lost she didn't even hear her name being called out over and over again, repeatedly. She didn't even hear the waves of concern rising through the voice calling her, nor the soft yet deep voice's calling, turn into shouting.

The bathroom door slammed open, rattling against its hinges, shattering the other side of the cream tiled wall it as it struck with force. The cracking sound didn't even register in her mind.

Her name being called softly one last time barely did.

The last time brought her back.

"Sakura"

Sakura turned partially stunned, just becoming aware of the presence of another person in the room.

Said person was already sitting beside her on the edge of the bathtub, watching the glazed-over sheen in her eyes.

The look that made her look so much younger, so much her age, so much more vulnerable.

It was agonizing seeing her like this, and within an instant he knew something was wrong.

Perhaps because he knew what she'd done for his brother was in essence a good thing, or maybe because he felt partially responsible for the way his brother turned out and thus responsible for the things his brother had done to her.

Regardless of the reason, something innate, something primal, without thought nor logic was compelling Itachi to do _something_. That if he didn't, another rare, skilled gem would be lost in the depressive curse of the shinobi world.

Somewhere beside her, somewhere external to her, Sakura heard Itachi speak, low, gentle, almost a whisper.

"Sakura, what's wrong" and the hint of concern was so deeply concealed, she barely caught it.

His words brought about a storm within her. Waves of memories charging against each other, battling to dominate as the most painful one, and out of them all she was lost drowning some place in the middle of that sea, where the ebb and flow of the tides caved to form the black hole that was her heart.

Without her consent, a hoarse whisper that sounded so unlike her usual, fiery self slipped the words out of her mouth.

"_I'm lost"_

Her dilemma brought on a cascade of his own memories, and Itachi knew her feelings all too well. He knew all too well the injustice of their world for someone so young, so full of life to be swept up in the pain of having had so little and lost so much.

Tilting his head, he could barely see her face which was still slanting down boring holes into her hands, her wet pink fringe obscuring her cloudy emerald eyes.

Long slender fingers reached across, gingerly sweeping the dripping pink locks behind her ear.

His gentle touch brought her back, with the burning sensation his fingers left on her skin. But she didn't move or even react, she was too afraid he would pull away taking his tantalizing touch with him.

His hands brushed over to the back of her neck where her long pink locks had coalesced encumbered with moisture, catching a strand in his fingers he twirled it round, watching the water drip, before carefully placing his hand on her shoulder and bringing his lips to whisper in her ear once more.

"…"

Sakura's head snapped up in shock, only making it in time to watch the broad set of his shoulders, which seemed so _alone_ in that moment, walk out the door.

Reality always _was_ much more painful when it slapped you right in the face.

* * *

A/N: ... and im back :) By exams FINALLY finished and im feeling VERY fanfic deprived. The first half of this was actually written a few weeks ago on my MOBILE whilst we were on HOLIDAY, yup i missed it that much.

Well just finished today/yesterday, so i still have plenty to update with, from now on im practically free and i can return to writting and actually updating, so if i have time today or even tomoro i may even write and upload the next chap real soon.

I had the strange urge to include the word acrimonious somewr in here, lol ive been watching way to much 'friends', but its sooo good!

Lastly for Chapter erm 14? would u rather Itachi in a kimono formal thing or a suit?

Review and enjoy =D

Reira XD


	14. Poignant

~ _Love like this can only be ruined by fate,_

_ everything else is just you and me,_

_ so lets face this, because this is,_

_reality~_

A gentle light glowing against the side of her sleeping face, slowly warming her, eventually woke the pink-haired woman up. As her green eyes fluttered open to the bright light, she squinted reflexively the specks of sun rays glittering in her eyes. Arching her back, she felt it click and sank back contentedly, into the soft duvet.

Next to her Sakura felt the soft of a small ball of fur curled up against her side, out of habit her fingers moved to play in its silky fur, finding comfort in the warmth and small purring she felt under her palm.

Staring at the ceiling Sakura knew she couldn't avoid it. Her mind was bustling, desperate to set her thoughts free, ready to be mulled over, memories to be replayed and analysed. Knowing she would eventually have to face them, she allowed her lids slide shut with a slight feeling of ambivalence.

Out of the two scenes replaying like a broken record in her mind, the sweetest and least painful memory, among the very few she held in the safe recesses of her heart, she thought through first.

Last night, had been without a doubt something…_else_.

There would never be words powerful enough to describe the mixture of feelings, the juxtaposing of them, the overwhelming sensual overload, the unforgettable memories of the first of one of the many nights she could never forget.

On the one hand it was flawlessly beautiful, surreal bordering on ethereal, something her imagination could never have conjured even at its peak.

On the other very heavy hand, it had changed something, something big, it had made her realise something she knew she could never take back.

When Misa had brought Sakura to her room and had demand she sit down shut up and let the work be done on her, Sakura had no choice but to comply.

She sat through hours of her hair being pulled this way and that, her face being plucked, brushed, and slathered onto. Every part of her being had had something done to it; even her legs had a good shining coat added to them even though they wouldn't even be showing.

After being forced to stand up and strip to her underwear, Sakura felt heavy material being slipped onto her and she watched as Misa flitted around her, pinning here and there, folding this and that, tying and knotting, pulling and pushing. A good hour was spent this way, and the whole time Sakura spent it standing in the same spot unable to move lest she be pricked deep by a pin or even worse Misa's wrath. Sakura was just grateful for the hours of gruelling ninja training that gave her the ability to withstand this.

But when she was done and turned Sakura around to face the mirror all thoughts of complaint went flying right out the window.

The person Sakura faced, no the _woman_ Sakura faced in the mirror was a different woman. It _had_ to be. Because there was _no way_ that woman staring right back, regardless of the unique emerald green eyes and pink hair, was her. No _fucking_ way.

It was magic, it _had_ to be. Because for so long Sakura hadn't bothered with dressing up, or social gatherings, her assassinations left her no time for them, but when faced with her reflection, she felt like a woman again, she felt like herself.

The woman she'd let go of so long ago had never looked so… _beautiful_. Her eyes almost filled with tears of awe and joy as she studied each and every ounce of her reflection, from head to toe.

It was a long trailing kimono, pure white, made of heavy satin adorned with a pooling hood at the top. The thick material was embroidered with light gold almost cream thread, dictating patterns of roses in buds and falling apart with swirls joining them all together, and between the roses flew butterflies, spreading their wings about the white goodness, almost bringing the kimono to life.

The obi, in itself was something else, because _no way_ could Misa have known about this without conferring with Itachi. The thick magnolia material had the outline of silver dragons stitched in all across, in various posses, breathing fire, soaring through the sky, all swirling around the material encircling her. The obi itself folded half way at the back, stretching out elegantly to form the long and trailing train of the dress. On the golden string secured round the obi, attached was a broach, made of white gold were two dragons curved towards each other in a heart shape, their heads bowed against each other.

Then what made the whole ensemble, every girls Lolita dream, was along the every spilt of the kimono was lined with lace. Pure white silk lace. The long sleeves spilt up till just below the elbow, from the inside out was line with the patterned lace, the split held together by a small ribbon at the top. And along the sleeves, neck line, and the part that folds across her legs were all lined with lace. Even the rim of the hood, except this one extended long enough to make the veil, draping over her face barely shielding it from view.

Still staring at herself in awe as Misa slipped the tiara on Sakura's pink hair, which was clipped slightly at the back with ringlets and curls of hair slipping free over her shoulder, she marvelled at how her hair always conveniently pulled back never looked so silky and…pretty.

Even her makeup, simple and shimmery, with white shades and glossy lip gloss, down to her nails perfectly manicured, Sakura felt she was in a whole different world.

So of course she would feel nervous and a bit self-conscious when led down the isle by Misa.

But the second she laid her eyes on Itachi, she truly felt she was in a whole different world. He looked so fucking handsome it wasn't even fair. If any man could wear a tuxedo and look sexy in it, then my dear friend that man is hands down Uchiha Itachi.

His long hair pinned neatly at the nape of his neck, the pressed jacket open to reveal a crisp white shirt unbuttoned at the top, Sakura could practically see the sparkles glittering around him.

As Misa led her up to the altar and she came to a full stop, turning to fully face the flawless Uchiha, everything began to dissolve from around her. Even as some bald religious guy read out their sermons and they mechanically replied, Sakura noticed _nothing_ around her. Even as little Satchi ran around with a small pink bow tied to her tail making havoc, even as the few other people in the room- Misa included-began to tear up at the perfect sight before them, nothing seemed to register in her mind, as reality seemed to slip entirely from her already weak grasp on it.

It was as if they were in their own little bubble. And through and through her whole stay at Misa's residence Sakura had refused to ponder or even acknowledge her feelings towards Itachi, let alone even consider _what_ exactly they were, all of course with regards to the restrictions that were placed on such feelings to begin with, such as loyalty to her village, and betraying her friends.

However right now, now all that seemed to fly away, fly away with all sane reasoning. Because at that moment all she could think about, all she could comprehend, was the way Itachi's large hands delicately held her slender ones in his, or the way even though the whole thing was a 'ploy', he seemed to be looking straight through her viridian eyes and into her soul as if it _were_ real.

And for those few moments she lost herself, she indulged herself in her desires for the first time in a very long time. Allowing herself to be swept up in the lulling, drug-like effect of the soft classical music, gentle violin strokes and soft piano key caresses floating around her, drawing her into a sense of unreality. When the man asked her first for her vows she spoke her "I do's" without even a hint of hesitation. The words had slipped out of their own accord and somehow she couldn't seem to wish to take them back nor to regret them.

In the moments of typical female anxiety as she waited to see if Itachi would reply similarly, as everyone else in the room watched with baited breath, she wondered briefly; _how_ she would manage everyday without this man in her life, because she _knew_ after tomorrow it would be the end of this _forever_.

This man who'd captivated her with his striking eyes, ebony hair, unrivalled intelligence and ensnaring power, had stolen her free will away from her, had become someone important, someone she was beginning to fear she would be _lost_ without.

"_I do"_

She would _never ever_ be able to forget the way he said those words to her. _Ever_. The way he said them as if it was the most crucial oath he was uttering, as if those words burned his lips as they left, leaving a warm sensation she could never forget, trembling the very pit of her stomach into a flurry of butterflies and a numbing impulse that sent shivers of delight down her spine.

Those words that made her feel as if she was the essence of _his_ very being.

Without knowing tiny sparkles appeared at the corners of her eyes as she watched him ever so carefully slip on a band of gold, shimmering with colours from the black almost sapphire gemstone circularly surrounded by a ring of small rubies, onto her finger. It was an Uchiha ring and her eyes snapped up to reach his, shock and question laced in them only to find them rivalled with the soft, tender look of his, dispersing any ounce of question from her in that moment.

Sakura recalled silently gasping as long, unhurried fingers reached out, delicately pinching the corners of the veil and rising it up and over to allow it to fall back with the hood, revealing a small blushing face brushed with sparkles and shimmers.

She could have sworn for a second she witnessed something dark and indescribable flicker through his Cimmerian eyes before her attention from them was swiftly cut off as he deliberately moved closer towards her.

He angled his head to the side so that all people viewing would only see her face shadowed by his, on the outside it appeared as a sure fire kiss, inside their little bubble it was entirely different.

His slow languid movements gave her moments to think, to decide, and as she watched his aristocratic features advance towards her, she was drawn to his lips, deliberately coming to rest at the corner of her mouth, unmistakeably giving her the option to decide.

Before he could move away, she twisted her head at the last second, one lace gloved hand reaching up to secure around his neck assuring his posture, as she softly pressed her lips to his.

With his warm breath against hers and the soft, tenderness of his lips, he yielded smoothly against her, leaving on her lips the most bittersweet taste, flavoured with the barest hint of sorrow.

And though it lasted no more than a few second it was a kiss she would never forget. It was a _real_ kiss.

* * *

A/N; I know normally the one entranced by looks in the male side of things (no prejudice ment to be in that statement atall), but I wanted this to be entirely from Sakura's view and memories, therefore Itachi's thoughts have been omitted from this one. I may, may write the next chapters in Itachi's view, idk that's actually pretty hard because I have the feeling I'll probably end up making him a pansy.

Btw, the next few chaps will be comparatively shorter, and bloody hell its taken me almost a whole year to get here but were almost at the midway climax of the story. In short, shit's about to go down.

Thank you vrai much to the people who have painstakingly been following my story, I really appreciate it, I keep writing regardless of how im so sure u shud be bored of this by now, just for you.

So in short review, and comment with **ure** thoughts!

Oh and theres a poll on my page for a new story im trying out, so give that a try too =P

Reira XD


	15. Intangible

_Because from the very start, he'd been just that._

_To be lost, what does it mean?_

As a child the question she'd asked her mother out of curiosity at one point had garnered her a curious reply;

"To have _no one_ find you"

It was a typical question kids ask, kind of like; where do babies come from, or what does it mean to go to heaven. Just one of those questions, little did Sakura know that almost sixteen years later that same question answered by her now deceased mother who had possibly been her most beloved person at the time, was coming to parallel with something said by the man she had known personally for six weeks, yet had taken her _whole_ world by storm.

She would lose herself in the endless black hole that were his eyes and always wondered, if they had met in another universe, in another time, would she fall in love at first sight.

Maybe, maybe not, but right now wasn't another time, now was the time she was living in and nothing could ever change that.

Itachi's words would never stop circling her mind, and in a strange twisted way it may have been those very words which told her she_ was _in love with him. Perhaps because it showed the depth to his character or even the darkness hidden underneath.

But it wasn't pity, it was never pity, it was love for the man he was, the man who had the strength not to desire pity but hold such a weight load on his shoulders, so much responsibility and power, so much knowledge and philosophical insight. Yet all that was missing from this man was one thing, a counterpart, someone to confine in, someone to explore so that he could stop exploring himself, someone to relive his tension, someone understand him and for him to understand in return.

Someone to make him feel _human_ again. Someone to _love_.

Though it was never his intention, it was his very words that had made her desperately want to be that person;

"_Im…lost"_

"_As long as there is someone to find you my dear Sakura, you can __**never**__ be lost"_

Surely he meant those she loved and still had left; her friends, her sensei, Naruto, of course all of which she was still unsure of their lives, yet still, _still_ she had someone left, even if it be the person in front of her, she had _someone_.

But who did Itachi have left? Hypothetically removing herself from this equation, technically he had _no one_. His whole clan was dead, he couldn't extensively associate with Misa in regards for her safety, and his only remaining blood relative- being Sasuke, was locked up in a cell in Konoha under suicide watch, with a vengeance against him and a thirst for his blood.

If he was lost _who_ was there to find him?

However when she stared into those obsidian gray eyes she knew better. She knew he was already _lost_, and probably had been for the last twelve years.

And it was about bloody time someone came and found him.

And she knew _just_ the person.

* * *

A/N; a bit melancholy eh? shortest chap yet o_O

i never intended it to turn out like this, but i guess it did...?

appriciated?

Reira x

Btw; NaruHina or NaruSasu, which do you prefer?


	16. Luxuria

_I hate the way this fucking world works,_

_Everything so fucked up I dont even know what love is,_

_But when your lips caress mine, and your fingers burn my skin,_

_I begin to think I can feel just what it is._

Then suddenly it was evening again.

How time went by so fast she didnt even know.

Exiting the bathroom, she turned to face the handsome Uchiha sitting on the edge of the bed. His rosy haired companion couldn't help but notice how he was shirtless, the moonlight streaming in from the window glinting of his skin, accentuating the curves of his taught muscles, pale skin and lean form, rendering him simply _breathtaking_. Maybe she felt that way because she knew he was waiting for her, or maybe because she knew it was the last time she'd ever get to see him like this.

Sighing, memories of their past few weeks together seemed to flit through her mind like lights on a motorway. At the start of her stay, time seemed to stretch endlessly, now on the last day of her stay, time was flushing by too fast, all to the point were the intermediate times between the main interactions between him and her seemed to disappear into empty space. Just like that.

Striding over and throwing her wet towel on the bed, landing it on little Satchi snuggling contentedly against Itachi's warm back (was it entirely ludicrous to say she felt a smidgen jealous?). She twisted her long, still wet, cherry locks into a loose bun, then folded her long kimono sleeves up her arm, as she walked forward to stand in front of him.

"You ready?" she began dubiously, breaking the silence.

"As always" and she could have sworn he almost, _almost_ smiled.

Smiling herself Sakura moved closer to stand in the space between his open legs. Reaching out she gently place two hands on his shoulders, warming them up with the electric flow of chakara, as she drew them over his toned upper arms, then down along his forearms and back up again, prodding with her chakara, delving in deep beneath the muscle and inspecting the expanse of bone running through.

Itachi suppressed a shiver at the tingling heat her chakara sent through him, repressing the urge to reach out and feel more for himself.

Poking and prodding his firm arms with her dainty fingers, feeling the placement of bones in his arms, and though Sakura had never been one for orthopaedics she could proudly say that the finished result of resetting the bones in his arms was a good one.

Beaming down at him her hands swept over his chest as they came to rest on his shoulders, subtly pumping a steady flow of chakara into them, in an attempt to relax his muscles and speed up the healing processes of the bruises and soreness left behind.

"All's good" her confident tone masking her relief, she turned to measure the reaction through his obsidian eyes.

Shimmering viridian eyes met the aphotic depth of his own, and Itachi was taken with the proud tender smile there, almost making him smile himself. Every detail of her smile ingrained in his memory, the tender feelings it was arousing within him, causing his arms resting on his knees to move without concious permission, slipping around her slender waist, locking her in possessively between his legs.

"Really..." he responded to her earlier statement, making Sakura momentarily stop short by the tone of his voice. Deeper than normal, though holding its usual silky tenor, within it Sakura felt it sounded almost... _possessive_. Desperately trying to repress her blush, and _not_ think about the way his arms round her waist made her want to dip in closer and wrap her own hands round his shoulders, fingers entwining with the hair at the back of his neck, or the way his alluring voice made her want to illicit sounds from it that she really shouldn't.

"Yes really" she smirked, her words comic out more devious than intended.

"Hmm...we'll see" her murmured dangerously close to her lips, his strong gaze captivating her.

His dark eyes blended into a deep bloody crimson ready to ascertain her claims.

The stark red staring her straight in those jade eyes.

Her greatest fear.

And that was when all hell broke loose.

Itachi didn't even _know_ it, but he had just exposed her point blank to her _only_ and _greatest_ fear, the S_haringan._

Jade eyes wide with terror, blank of any other emotion, Itachi stared confused, perplexedly trying to figure out what was wrong but only making things worse by using his sharingan to do so.

Shoving back out of his hold Sakura was instantly transported back three years prior.

Her own personal hell.

The day she ceased to love or care anymore. The day she lost one more precious thing.

The memories she had spent so long represssing rushed back wildly, blaring loudly like concert speakers at the highest volume, the sheer static blocking out room for any other sane though,throwing and consequently loosing her in her own nightmare memories.

All she saw was the red the blood red pouring endlessly from her best friends body, the blood red of the causers eyes, the blood red stain on her hands, her cheeks, her top, the blonde hair of the person pulling her away, the grave of her parents as she cried to them with no one else left to cry to. The blood red of her vision as she plunged forward, the screams erupting around her. _Her screams_.

Her screams which echoed around their room as she relived the memory in full colour and vibrancy, in all its hellish splendour.

Alarmed Itachi shot forward grasping her hands as they held the side of her head in a sorry attempt to block out the screams she hadn't yet realised were her own.

Oblivious to reality she thrashed against Itachi trying with all his will and might to drag her back.

Pulling and kicking, violently pushing and shoving, they tumbled to the ground with the momentum of their two bodies fighting against each other. His body crashing into hers as they landed on the wooden floor, wielding one large hand he just about managed to grasp her wrists, pinning them atop her head as he used the other hand to curve carefully around her jaw,holding her head still.

By some instinct that came rushing back from evidence of her evasiveness during their fights, he switched off the cursed technique, hoping to cease her endless cries.

Still the screams continued.

The usually impassive and tolerant man felt him self edging nearer to the brink of insanity. Her screams that were too painful to hear, not because of the high pitch but because of the strangled pain and sorrow embedded within, wrought with heavy emotion set free from deep down in her soul where she'd locked them away for so long.

Then just when he thought things couldn't get worse, suddenly they did.

Calling out her name proved a big no no, because as he almost shouted her name, he found just how far she'd gone, she couldn't even _hear._ The desperation in his voice only bringing back a fresh wave of memories, making her scream louder and harder, ripping her throat with ripples of pain she couldn't even feel.

On top of her, Itachi brought his face closer to hers, his nose brushing her cheek as he moved his mouth to the shell of her ear, softly, quietly, he whispered her name within it.

_"Sakura"_

Then it started. The tears that she'd suppressed for too long, now flowed forth without restraint.

Real tears seeping from the corners of her troubled jade eyes and pouring endlessly across his fingers gripping her jaw in place.

Watching the dam break loose, he could feel his heart crack at the sight before him. It was unbearable to see her like that, to see the tantamount of sorrow and sadness, the raw agony displayed there. Everything she wouldn't show to anyone else, but the pure unadulterated emotion threatening to consume her existence, her very soul.

At that moment he swore he would give _anything_ to quench that fear. To _extinguish_ those memories from her conscience.

To _stop_ those tears.

"Sakura!"his voice for the first time displaying an ounce of emotion, wrought with anguish, and on the brink of hysteria.

In a last desperate attempt just to stop those tears, he pressed his warm mouth against hers, crushing her lips, quelling the screams, relief spreading through his chest like wildfire at the silence of her screams.

Once he caught that silence he was unable to let go. Still able to feel the pulse of tears beneath his fingers, Itachi in an awkward position holding her wrists above his head, pulled back slightly to look her in the face.

His hands on her wrists tightened with barely restrained emotion. Her screams had stopped, her eyes had lost their vacant look and had returned to reality, now staring straight at him and glazed over with the passion in her eyes, her brows pulled together in confusion, yet her plump lips and shimmering eyes inviting, tempting, practically _beckoning_ him towards them.

Her lips parted, whether to breath or to say something, he never knew, because his mouth was already clamped down again on hers, seeking the soft feel of her lips with his teeth, grazing the smooth flesh as he felt the burn of them open against his.

Their breathes mingled and suddenly he realised she was _responding_ to him. The hands he hadn't know he'd let go off, were now clinging desperately to him, wrapped tight around his neck, pulling him close, locking him in. His groan sent a pulse of vibration through the opening of her lips, flowing through them and down to the heat of her very core. His groan against the fact that he _couldn't_ let go, he didn't _want_ to.

Knowing with all his being this was wrong, but unable to do a single thing about it. He pressed harder against her, sucking her lower lip till it flushed red, moving rhythmically against her, their burning lips only parted for breath, drawing in more moisture to the foray as they did so, hungrily sliding their mouths over the other. Prying her lips open, his tongue reaching into her warm mouth, sensuously drawing her tongue into his own, he felt her moan beneath him, and in response his hand moved to secure around her waist, pulling her body tight against him, so that every curve, dent and smooth of their bodies, every inch of their smouldering skin, smothered the other.

Electricity buzzed between the two, making the air around them almost tangible from the sheer heat of the static as their bodies moved perfectly in sync with the other. Just like a hypnotising melody, their lips locked, tongues twisted, drawing them into deeper waters than ever before, as they feed off the others passion and fervour, any pain and anguish dissipating between them, blending in and satiating the other with a fury of _pure_ ecstasy.

Whispers of '_Dont be afraid_' slipped between throaty moans, heavy breaths and in response, his name slid smoothly ringing pleasurably in his ears, from her lips moulded affectionately to his.

His warmth, taste, touch, _feel_ atop of her, _all_ of them she felt it was intoxicating her, making her drunk on his very scent, the _lust_ pouring from his lips and saturating hers.

She felt it would _kill_ her to _ever_ let go.

When their kiss ended _nothing_ was forgotten.

That was the first and last night they slept side by side in that _way_ too large bed.

* * *

A/N: Did they do the dirty deed? Oooh find out in the next chapter...

Review to tell me how I did, you like or hate?


	17. Interlude

_**~I swear you've done something unbearable to me,**_

_**If possible you've poisoned me pleasurably~**_

"_Here Itachi, your ring"_

_Sparing a glance at the ring, then staring blankly into Sakura's eyes, he measured her with a level look. She was being honest, sincere, surely she knew how much that ring was worth?_

"_There is no need, it belongs to you now"_

_Sakura's eyes widened, she couldn't believe what she was hearing, did this really mean nothing to him?_

_She hesitated, but mustered her courage nonetheless. The last time she had touched upon a sensitive topic with Itachi, things hadn't gone well._

"_isn…Isn't this important to you?"_

_He stared at the ring in her small open palm, the colours and design resembling that of the sharingan, his clans pride and joy, suddenly the image of the previous owner of the ring came to mind, briefly transporting him back to memories over a decade old. "Give this to someone special" the clear sweet voice rang in his mind and suddenly it was a struggle, desperately trying to prevent the never ending pain and sadness erupting inside all over again._

"_It…was my mother's…and now it belongs to you"_

_Confusion and turmoil swelled with Sakura, if this had belonged to his mother wasn't he supposed to give it to someone special, someone he really wanted to marry._

"_No…really, you should give it to someone special..When you marry someone you __**actually**__ love…"_

_Her voice was low and trembled, Itachi struggled to grasp her words, but when he did a bittersweet smile graced his lips._

"_I just did. Furthermore I'm never going to marry again Sakura, you of all people should understand this"_

_He just did? The first part barely had time to be process in her mind before the second shocking part came along. He just did what? He gave it to someone __**special**__ or someone he __**loved**__? Sakura wanted to ask so badly but she knew asking was verging into forbidden territory, only further causing the confusion to grow within her. And he had no desire to marry? She should understand? He couldn't be referring to…__**that**__ could he? Confusion swirled with worry and sadness concocting itself into a vicious solution of stress that would definitely weigh on her mind for time to come, even after she would have left._

Even now, hours after their conversation regarding the ring, Itachi's words refused to leave her mind, making every move, every step, a little more unsteady and a little less willing.

Which gave another reason why here now, this fight, standing bare meters apart from Itachi was not only necessary, but vital. It was more than just a way to resume the contempt and enmity between the two opposing sides they sat on, but to Sakura it had become a way to determine something, something that had been intensely clamping down on her mind recently.

If by her logic and knowledge Itachi did no harm to those that meant something to him, more than he could handle and if not for their own good, for example Sasuke, then by that she could determine what _she_ meant to _him_.

Shifting the long black floor length cloak which Misa had gifted, aside to make room for her arms, Sakura secured the stuffed back pack to her waist band, assuring it wouldn't fall of during the fight. She smiled, remembering the tears Misa had shed for "_the happy couple_", whom she had assumed were going on their jolly honey moon, and had even sowed and repaired Sakura's precious silver dragon garment as a gift for her.

"So... your… still gonna return to that god forsaken organisation, huh?" Sakura questioned gesturing to the mended black cloak with printed red clouds gracing his body.

He smirked, his typical Uchiha smirk, if albeit tainted with something dark and unrecognizable.

"If not, then where do I go?"

Well he had her there didn't he, there was nothing she could say to that, ashamed she looked away.

Ten minutes later there were deep into their fight, intense concentration and all. Or so that was what it would seem like to an outsider. However in the deserted air of the forest their fight was far from serious.

Having laced all her weapons with healing chakara (so that after every direct hit the wound would heal), Sakura pulled back and with lighting speed whipped her kunai out in front of her in an attempt to goad Itachi in to fighting her more seriously. The kunai whizzed past his face, but a hairsbreadth away from the curve of his ear, managing to nick a few strands of hair in the process.

Rushing forth sending a fist charged with chakra at his head, Itachi ducked and parried her roundhouse kick just in time to throw a fist against her clavicle, sending her backwards hurtling towards a large oak tree.

However the punch wasn't powerful enough and Sakura could help but think the bite was pulled back on purpose. Stealing herself just before she hit the tree, she threw a shower of kunai affront then skid sideways just in time to avoid their return towards her.

Taking advantage of Itachi's millisecond opening as he deflected her weapons, Sakura charged forward, brand new katana in hand, she sliced the air, pulling back her arm and ramming it straight forward, so that according to her calculations, it would just barely graze his right side as Itachi blocked it. His reflexes were fast enough, she was one hundred and one percent sure he would be _able_ to block it.

But he _didn't_.

Momentarily she stood still, stunned, the world seemed to flush out from around her and all she felt was the man in front of her, connected to her by a single blade.

_Her_ blade, wedged deep in his chest just below his _heart_.

Viridian eyes almost split as they stared wide in disbelief at her hands still holding the blade, then up to his precious face with a soft bittersweet smile upon his lips, then back down to the blade as his hands wrapped around hers holding them in place, preventing her from removing the cursed metal with his iron grip.

"I…ita…chi" she croaked out, her voice hoarse. Itachi wouldn't be injured once she removed the katana, the chakara would heal him almost instantaneously, if only her let her _remove_ it. She knew the chakara would do absolutely nothing to compensate for the excruciating pain he would probably be feeling right at this moment.

However shell shocked Sakura couldn't get over what she had just done, what she had just _committed_. When she first met Itachi she wouldn't have thought twice about it, now it felt like she had sinned _supremely_, as if she had done the most_ terrible_ deed. Her heart twisted with the knowledge that _she_ had stabbed Itachi, Itachi who had done some much for and too her. As the realisation of what she had just done settled in, uncontrollable emotions washed over her, she felt _tainted_ and _impure_, _dirty_ and _horrible_.

"Sakura…"

Itachi's intense gaze brought her back, and within her she felt unease at the lack of anger and hate visible on Itachi's face. _Why_ didn't he hate her for doing this? _Why_ did he_ let_ her do this? Seeking the answers in his eyes, her questions were instantly silenced by his intense, captivating gaze.

He was staring at her, into her, into her _soul_, in an almost _primal_ way. He was looking into her eyes as if looking into a mirror. Sakura was only open with her emotions when she wanted to or when she had no control, the same could be said for him, and now staring into forest green eyes he only saw _himself_ reflected there, his own emotionless eyes reflected by deep pools of murky water.

However lately when their gazes met, he began to feel he could see deeper into them, he could almost dip in and touch the surface of emotion she felt.

And now was one of those times. He saw the fear and self hate, the confusion and desperation, and without a second though, he freed a hand from around hers, though tainted with blood, he trailed it tenderly down her cheek. Instinct was screaming at him to comfort her, to reassure her, to relieve the pain she felt, and he hated himself because he just didn't _know_ how.

Unable to bear the distance anymore, the separation, he tilted her chin up towards his and captured her lips in a deep, but chaste kiss.

Warm and sultry, passionate and unfathomable, Sakura wanted to cry for the taste of his kiss, the touch of his lips, the way they sent fire coursing through her system, swirling madly in the pit of her stomach, clenching her gut in a flurry of tingles, clouding her mind, her heart in a swarm of lust and elation, losing her from the plane of reality, the reality where life had been so harsh on them both.

Then all too soon he broke away, a smile played on his lips.

"…_till next time_"

As his last words slipped out, his body began to break away. Black feathers morphed into birds, crows, and his eyes were the last to leave her, she stared into them displaying all the dizzying emotion she felt with her own pools of viridian.

She watched till the last feather drifted away, she stared at the space he'd occupied moments before even after he was gone, _long_ after he was gone. Just like that _gone_.

When the sky began to dim and the sun was setting down from its perch, Sakura finally broke from her reverie, abruptly turning around, forcing herself to walk the other way.

As she began to walk she looked down at her hands feeling a weight there, something sticky and wet. Through the muggy haze that was her mind, there was the katana she had used to stab Itachi, unable to bear holding it in her hands no longer, the feeling overwhelmingly, she drew her arm back and threw it as far as she could, satisfied when it disappeared about a quarter of a mile, entirely out of her view, the sound of its landing not even heard for its distance.

Wiping her hands on the black cloak and pulling up its hood, Sakura looked ahead to the horizon where the sun was simmering, easing down behind the stars and the sky, the mountains and the trees. Like the weight of the world, Sakura felt an immense heaviness set about her heart, chaining it down and cementing it in burning coal.

Sighing, she walked the long and lonely road back to Konoha with a small black cat trailing after her.

As if remembering something, she slipped her hands inside her cloak and pulled out a long pipe, dark ebony in colour, engraved with exquisite lilies and enchanting cherry blossoms, which danced about the frame like wind in her hair.

_Itachi had kept his promise like every other_, Sakura thought sadly as she lit the end of the pipe with a lighter and slid the pipe between her lips. Putting her lighter away she noticed something about her hands.

Pulling of her black gloves with her teeth, Sakura noticed the stain of crimson blood which had seeped underneath the glove to smear across the palm of her hand.

The blood on her hands was _Itachi's blood_, she though bitterly, and though her form shook with the restrained emotion she was desperately trying to control, she felt an unwilling tear slide down her cheek as if in defiance.

"Dammit, when did I become so week again?"

She bit out, resigned as she glared at the harsh setting sun, it was then the realization dawned on her that it had been _all along_.

The day she met Itachi that was when. The day she let him in her life, he began to take over every single part of her, like a _cancer_, consuming her soul whether she wanted him to or not, unbearably painful to get rid of whether she liked it or _not_.

It was no longer attraction and it was never obsession.

Now… it was pure _addiction_.

* * *

A/N: sorry it took really long to get out, its actually been written for a while but ive been concious of posting it ¬_¬

So yeah, busy times, ive got a really important exam next week *sigh* fun times, eh... TT_TT

on the plus side, the next chapter is written but ill post it tomorrow, im too tired to spell check right now -_-

Thank you for all the reviews and for following my story thus far, when the muse is lost it really encourages me to keep going, i see the wonderful things u people say and suddenly i feel like writing just for them :)


	18. Shooting Stars

_**~I hurt myself, but I only end up hurting you,**_

_**I lie to myself, but I only end up lying to you,**_

_**I seek solace, but only end up isolating you,**_

_**I try to hate you, but only end up hating myself~**_

The low sizzling sound was the only sign of animation within the desolate apartment and Naruto, the only occupant, sighed despondently, feeling the emptiness weigh down on him once more in full force now that he was alone.

Despite being the hokage to a whole village, without one of his most important person in it, he had never felt so alone. It was a loneliness that seemed only to increase with each passing day, as his ever strong flame of hope tested with the water of time, he began to feel the lead piling on his shoulders, his back, bearing the burden of having lost someone so important, so irreplaceable, all over again.

Flipping the egg so that the other side could brown, Naruto only paying half attention to his cooking, turned his gaze to the balcony window, visible from the far end of his kitchen.

He was sure the sun was high in the sky, however it was unseen as thick, heavy clouds shrouded it, engulfing the village in a bleak, gloomy shade, drizzling a sheen of moisture that enclosed everyone and everything in its isolation.

He sighed, his emotions matching the dreary weather, his heart reasoning with the turbulent winds rattling against the glass balcony doors. A gentle slip of sunlight was peeking out from between clouds, captivated he leaned back, seeking, searching for the light at the end of the tunnel to brighten this lifeless day.

The slow, acrid smell of burning rose with the thin wisps of smoke that grew and swirled around him, turning carelessly to assess the damage, the remains of what would have been his breakfast now a thin, crispy, sheet of coal. Naruto took one look before turning off the stove and shoving the pan and all in the sink.

He had lost his appetite anyway, in fact he never had one to begin with. He was merely eating for sustenance, enough to keep him going, keep him alive, he had lost any joy he ever found in food. He had lost any joy he had found in almost anything.

Spinning open the tap it gushed out in a torrent, pouring cold water endlessly from the faucet, hitting the burning pan and sending an inferno of small white clouds up and around.

Taking a step back, Naruto ran a hand through his outgrown and unruly hair, without his headband, his bang ran free, shadowing his natural brilliant blue eyes. In just his casual slacks and t-shirt, he looked much younger than when he sat dutifully carrying out his hokage orders. However now, if anything, he looked_ older_. Having lost weight with the tantamount of stress, dark bags from lack of sleeping curving underneath his eyes, his complexion pale, his smile lost, and the blue of his eyes normally alive with passion and vigour, now a muted ink blue shade.

In hope of seeing the sunlight peering through the clouds, to brighten his solitary day, Naruto turning sideways from where he stood, gazed through his balcony windows once more in search of it.

But what he found wasn't just the sun, but his own personal_ moon_.

His hands fell limp at his sides, as he stared, wide-eyed in shock and disbelief, stock still at the sight before him.

Because there, standing at the entrance to his balcony, believe it or not was his dearest _Sakura_.

Shaking his head, and rubbing his eyes in incredulity, as if expecting the unbelievable scene before him to evaporate when he opened them again. However such thing never happened and Sakura herself stood still, as if a vision, yet her complexion, live eyes, and the steady rise and fall of her chest all pointed to real life.

She stood motionlessly, held back, as if waiting for some sort of signal, or response from Naruto that would allow her to move forward again.

However Naruto wouldn't move an inch, let alone release the breath he was holding, for fear that any such movement would disrupt the incredible visage before him.

Because, here before him, stood the woman he had been searching for, praying for, the past six weeks without fail, the mere thought of her death putting him through nightmares, sending him away from food, irritating his conscience till he snapped at even his dearest love.

And not matter how many times he imagined finding her, it was nothing like this. The worst scenarios his mind could conjure up were that of her mangled corpse, bloody and torn to pieces, her beautiful face indiscernible, and her vibrant green eyes lifeless and doused with a bloodied shade. Already one teammate was falling out of his grasp, it would kill him for another to go.

His best friend, his soul's sister.

But lo and behold, here she was, without a scratch nor a bruise nor a drop of blood amiss about her. All in one piece. In fact, apart from the red lines, and bags under her eyes, she looked completely normal, if anything better than normal. Less like her usual mission-exhausted self, her face always an impeccable façade appeared to be on the edge of cracking open.

Standing with the sun bearing on her back, the floor length cloak pushed aside with suitable ninja attire displayed underneath, it seemed as if she had never left to begin with, like it all had been some dreadful, untouchable dream. Apart from the cat. Hold a second why was there a cat…?

"I must be really going mad…" Naruto muttered to himself, bringing a hand to cover his eyes as he bent his head, averting his gaze from the impossible vision in front.

"N..Naruto, it's me…it really is…"

Rushing forward and dropping the cloak to the ground, she captured her best friend in a tight, bear-hug, desperate for him to believe her, to believe she was really _here_.

"I promise you, it really is me" she whispered into his neck as he was about a foot taller than her, and that was where she reached.

"Really…" though his voice was disbelieving, his arm reached out to ascertain the truth wrapping themselves tensely around her, feeling for himself whether or not she really was real.

They both dissolved into a warm, fuzzy, much needed hug, melded to each other, with the love and care that words couldn't portray. And briefly the unwilling thought passed through Sakura's mind; "_see why can't things with Itachi be like this…honest_".

Pulling back, Naruto looked her full in the face, still hardly able to really believe she was there.

"Sakura…where have you been, what happened, are you ok?" though his voice was low and hoarse, his questions were rushed, and his words came out in a tumult.

"I'm ok" Sakura smiled, stepping back to take a seat at one of the chairs at Naruto's kitchen dining table.

"As for where I was…" Sakura sighed, leaned back, and folded the cloak on her lap, consciously smoothing out any creases that were there, taking comfort in Satchi sweet, soft fur when she jumped up onto her lap.

This, she realised, was where _her_ honesty came to the test. Her trust in her best friend, a true test of friendship. But though her best friend, he was also the hokage, and she realised this situation was much like a thief telling her police chief lover of her crimes. Once she told him, the decision would lie in Naruto, not someone else, it would be all up to _him_ to decide what to do with her.

Sensing the seriousness in her demeanour, and the tenseness of her posture, Naruto beginning to worry, hinted for her to continue.

"Sakura, what is it, you know you can tell me _anything_"

"Yeah, I know I can… but I just don't know if you will like what you hear" she replied resigned.

Taking a deep breath, she picked her head up from where it was in her hands, rested on the table, and turned to look Naruto directly in the eyes, locking his gaze.

"I..I'm sorry Naruto… I was…saved by…Itachi, _Uchiha Itachi_…and we…made a deal of sorts" Naruto's eyes widened in horror, and only further widened with her following words. He, by some sort of twisted premonition, with her first mention of the missing-nin, somehow managed to predict her following words, nevertheless it didn't mean he _wanted_ to believe them. "And you see Naruto…" her voice became incredibly quiet, burned down to a whisper shaking with hidden emotion.

"…I think… I may have fallen in _love_ with him…" the tears welled and brimmed over, and she cursed and hated herself to infinity and beyond for putting her best friend through this, for making him make this decision, possibly the hardest yet.

"I'm…sorry Naruto..so sorry…" she whispered helplessly, her shoulders sinking as her gaze dropped to the table before her, unable to watch the horrific mixture of torment, self loathing and confusion swirl within Naruto's eyes and face.

"Dammit Sakura….DAMMIT!" dragging his hands through his hair, he lashed out, sweeping the glasses of the table, watching them clash and clatter to the ground, shattering to pieces.

"Dammit!" he hissed, his anger, not directed at Sakura, but more to himself, for not helping her himself, for having to make the decisions he would have to make, for being the hokage yet not being able to do a _damn_ thing. He threw more glasses against the wall, watched them burst and break into tiny shards glittering the floor. He need to vent, to somehow release the impossible anger and confusion, the mix of emotions tearing his heart apart worse than even the strongest jutsu.

"Dammit…" he now muttered to himself, sinking into one of the kitchen chairs, propping his arm up on the table and resting his head in his palm, in emotional defeat.

Then something occurred to him. Something so crazy and ludicrous, yet so obvious he was appalled he hadn't noticed it from the start. Sakura was _crying_. Not just crying but really _crying_. And the last time he had seen that happen was more than four years ago.

Four years, and it took just one guy to set it off.

He laughed mirthlessly, the hollow sound echoing about the sunlit room, and Sakura raised her head to watch her best friend in concern.

"You _really_ love him don't you…"

"..."

He laughed once again, his voice drained of humour and added sarcastically.

"Well one thing's for sure, if you two _ever _get married, the guests are gonna be a _bitch_…and I _highly _doubt Sasuke would _ever_ take up the invitation…"

_Oh, if only he knew._

* * *

"So... have you two...you know...yet?"

"'You know'...what?" Sakura turned to Naruto, a confused look on her face.

"_You know_..."

"No, I dont '_Know'_" Naruto, taking note of Sakura's peeved tone tried to explain more explicitly this time.

"You know...'it', the 'dirty deed', 'woohooed', 'the wild thing', 'popped the cherry', 'soiled the rug', 'done the nasty'!" Naruto sighed in exasperation following his tirade, a list of which only accumulated thanks to their sensei with his mind in the gutter and his body constantly in heat.

He turned to Sakura, gauging her reaction, fully expecting a straight out left hook through his jaw, sending him flying through one of his seventh story apartment windows. He was however, surprised to find Sakura instead stock still, staring at him wide eyed and gobsmacked, her mouth open as if to say something but no words falling out, and her cheeks tainted with a deep rosy shade.

Naruto's cries of horror could be heard miles away, echoing throughout the village and haunting his dreams with disturbing images of his best friend with a man...in bed...

**Some where miles away;**

Itachi sneezed, the graceful sound reverberated about the forest they were exploring, and Itachi turned to his left to look questioningly at his partner who had stopped moving.

"I...Itachi... you ok... sure your not ill or something?" kisame managed to croak out, shell shocked from seeing his partner of years _sneeze_, actually_ sneeze_ publicly.

If hell were to open right at that moment and swallow the world from right beneath his feet he would be less surprised, because until that day he had _never_ seen Itachi subdue him self to any sort of reflex body reaction, let alone become _ill_.

No, the great Uchiha Itachi was too high and mighty to catch something so disgraceful, so demeaning, as a **_cold_**.

Itachi making a sound of irritation, turned and started walking on ahead.

"I assure you Kisame, I am perfectly fine"

Kisame shaking his head in incredulity hurried to follow, quickly falling into step with him again.

"If you say so, but you know what they say about sneezing..."

"Bless you..."

kisame scoffed, pretty sure that it would take a _very_ special person to '_Bless_' Itachi.

"No...they say someone is talking about _you_" he sighed shaking his head "you never know Itachi, might've gotten yourself a little admirer" Kisame goaded, honestly not expecting any sort of real response from they man, if anything more expectant to find himself, sent head first flying through a series of hard, painfully tall, trees.

"Hn"

Kisame whipped his head around so fast it spun from the head rush. Having worked with Itachi for more than ten years, he'd become slightly adept to interpreting Uchiha-talk, and that '_Hn_', that slight slip of the tongue meant _something_, meant something _real_ big coming from Itachi.

"HOLY SHIT, ITACHI'S GOT A GIRL!" Kisame screamed so loud, announcing to the forest and the mountains beyond, that he sent all the bird and animals hiding in their dens and trees, running for their dear lives.

Throwing one large, blue hand on Itachi's shoulder, ignoring how it tensed up underneath, Kisame spoke in his version of a 'whisper'.

"Seriously man, I was starting to get worried there, you know, thought you might be playing for the other te-"

And that my friends, was when Kisame _did_ go flying, head first, through a series of large, painfully tall, trees.

* * *

A/N: Re-uploaded with new additions :)

All questions will soon be answered, especially those pertaining to the 'dirty deed'. Yup, so patience and all will be revealed, I promise im not just going to leave you guys hanging like that :)

Ok ive just realised the chapter names kinda foreshadow the next chapter. Cuz this chapter itself was more like an interlude, next chapter will feature shooting stars, revealing Sakura's past and the choices she now has to make.

Will she forgive Sasuke?

Review for the next chapter XD


	19. Whiplash

"_**LIFE IS WAR**_

_**AND EVERYDAY IS A BATTLE TO ME**_

_**IM ON THE BRINK OF INSANITY**_

_**BETWEEN EXTREME INTELLIGENCE AND SPLIT PERSONALITIES" {Immortal Technique}**_

"Well" she began earnestly "you probably been dying to know the details, here she admonished herself for her crude pun "so I'm gonna tell them" she heaved a sigh, feeling the air whoosh out of her, as her body relaxed against the soft dewy green. She smiled sadly, twinkling her eyes with suppressed regret and something akin to guilt; years and years of it.

"You see it all started two years ago…che, who would have though such a…" she groped around for the right word "_stupid _encounter would so drastically intertwine the course of our lives" she tapped her chin thoughtfully " I think… it was probably that very first encounter which made me see him a _man_ instead of an enemy, a _monster_. And perhaps it was that which led to my, though I hate to admit it, hesitation during our second encounter, without even realising it I had began to see him as kind of… a kindred spirit, the _only_ one left" her lips twitched bitterly at the thought. Then taking a deep breath, she began with great care and little resistance, to tell the bittersweet tale of all her encounters with Itachi from the very beginning to the very end.

"Well then, I guess that's _everything_" she sighed softly, the cool morning breeze subduing the sound of her voice.

"Thanks Ino, you've always been such a great listener" she smiled softly, gently caressing the smooth marble with the back of her shivering hand.

She continued to sweep away small trails of dirt, dust and any stray greenery away from the pearl black stone. And in a movement uncaring of what an onlooker may think, she leaned down and pressed her lips lightly to the cold marble.

Sitting upright again she fiddled with ornaments about the place, tidying up pots of flowers, removing old decaying ones and making space for her own fresh white lilies.

Decidedly happy with the final arrangements of her flowers, the morning sun just barely breaking through. A light mist spread through the place, illuminating the petals to an almost ethereal glow. Sakura contended, leaned back onto her palms, her gaze languidly sweeping over the place.

The cemetery was of course empty of regular folk at such an absurd hour, but was sparsely littered, alternating with a range of people, who came, silently paid their respects and left. She noticed they all had a slightly withered look in their eyes, one she firmly identified in Itachi's, she wondered if she too had the same.

It was not uncommon for a rotation of people to come and go, silent like the ghosts sure to inhabit the place itself. They were the regulars accustomed and at peace in such silence, who came simply to be alone at such a moment. Many of the regulars, aside from herself, consisted of mostly Jounin, some of which obviously found it harder to let go of a lost one than most others, and peculiarly she happened to recognise them as some of the most adept and active shinobi of their ranks, and she knew it was their daily visitations which kept the guilt at bay, the warped wormhole of emotions that threatened to drag them down. It was only like this could they truly be the shinobi they were, having felt and dealt with true loss.

And Sakura was sure somewhere not too far away Kakashi was standing staring at a similar memorial stone; a withered look in his eyes, regret in his mind.

The second type of person to attend was perhaps even more heartbreaking. They were the mother or father, the husband or wife, who came alone, without child nor companion- no that was for later when a front was put up- to pay their homage and let their true emotions run havoc on their features and heart.

It was tormenting to watch, their faces twisted with an indescribable pain Sakura could so strongly relate with.

She had to look away, back to the small headstone in front of her.

She leaned down once more and kissed the stone in a gesture of farewell.

"Goodbye Ino" she murmured heartfelt.

Then she made her way to the civilian side of the cemetery, in the direction of her parents grave.

After all this was dawn; _the time of remembrance_.

* * *

The setting sun outlined her silhouette in a vibrant array of burning red and gold's. Breathing hard, she pulled the back of her hand across her forehead, wiping the sweat dripping down her eyes. With one last killer punch, shattering the huge coniferous tree in front of her, she let out a high pitched scream, a sigh of exasperation, a call of desperation.

Her legs wobbled and she let them give out, allowing herself to plonk down onto the only patch of uninterrupted terrain; the ground beneath her feet. Leaning back against the hill, listening to the irregular follow of her breath, her chest rising and falling with the effort, silently she opened her eyes to the breathtaking spectacle before her.

Her eyes watered with the blinding strain, the warmth was overwhelming, millions of memories, seeming a thousand years old rushed back; that one time as a child she had a picnic with her parents their huddled forms lightened by the steady sunrise, or that other time after her parents died, she had sat with Ino on the roof of her old house, watching the sun set as she cried onto the shoulder of her best friend. And then there's _those _ time, the times she cursed herself for ever remembering. The times when Naruto would stride forward confidently, not a worry in the world, flanked on either side by herself and Sasuke, and lead by their dearest Sensei, they'd follow the sun whether it be rising or setting to _wherever_ it would take them. Those blessed times, full of precious innocence, blind faith and burning desire, now seemed a _billion_ miles away.

A shooting star whizzed by; she closed her eyes, made a prayer, a wish.

A wish for this, all over again, just not alone.

Unwillingly a tear slipped down her cheek as the memories flew by, like lights on a motorway, moving so fast, making impossible to stop and catch a breath.

…

Shikamaru sighed his usual world-weary sigh. Although he'd been as he usually did every morning, something had compelled him to go again, and he did, there was no reason _not _to. However the visits always left a harsh lingering feeling in the pit of his stomach gnawing away; and that feeling only increased ten-fold when a familiar chakara spiked his peripheral vision.

He turned around from the bordered exit of the cemetery, and walking forth through the increasing darkness, he followed his senses intently, weaving through the heavy forest enclosure and running a half mile before sighting upon the person.

As usual when she was around, the training grounds was in shambles. Everything was in ruins; from the splintered trees, to the misplaced lake, to the overturned ground. _Troublesome woman_.

She'd been missing for weeks, and now here she was, as if she'd never been gone a day. Yet something was different. He couldn't remember the last time he had actually seen Sakura 'idle'.

It was heartbreaking, she sat against a mound of mud (seriously she should take up being an undertaker), legs outstretched, her face titled towards the sky, a vacant expression in her eyes, a tear stain down her cheek.

…

Sakura felt Shikamaru's approaching presence before she could physically see him. Quickly she rubbed the tear away. Without greeting of any kind, he settled down on the ground next to her, putting his hands behind his head and staring up at the starry sky with her.

"Beautiful isn't it" he spoke softly

"Mmmh" Sakura agreed, appreciating the gentle beauty before them.

It was rare Sakura and Shikamaru had time to see each other given their respective positions, but they were still close as ever regardless of the time apart. And more often than not, that time was spent under the sky, eyes closed, staring up at it.

Time passed and more stars dotted the sky, the night air took on a warmer tone and the gentle winds settled down. Sakura stretched, her limbs sore from the extensive workout. Turning her face a fraction to her left, her gaze settled upon Shikamaru's reclining position.

His eyes were closed and his breath steady, he seemed asleep. But Sakura knew better and as if in response to her thoughts, his lids opened and his line of sight shifted sideways towards her, one brow raised expectantly.

She opened her mouth to speak but the words didn't come out as easy as they did in her head, she sighed irritatedly and rolled over onto her side to fully face him.

"Shikamaru…"

"Mmm?" was his response. He had already gone back to star-gazing.

"How are we ever expected to forget?"

He paused before answering, considering her words, knowing full well what she was talking about.

"We aren't" he spoke with finality and Sakura felt her heart drop "You're not, and you probably never will" his words were soft but cut through her like a sharpened kunai.

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"_Nothing_, you do nothing. There's nothing you or I can do, as much as we want to. We accept it and move on, we _deal_. The pain never gets easier, and it never gets easier to forget, but still we move forward, we persevere, not for ourselves, but for _them_. Not because we want to, but because we _have _to

"How do you think Sasuke or Naruto has survived for so long without going insane, or even Kakashi and Tsunade, or heaven forbid even Itachi, all of them friend and foe, in the face of death, no matter how strong, are _powerless_. All we can simply do is _deal_ Sakura, there is no other choice _but_ to…"

The pace of Sakura's heart quickened in response to Shikamaru's casual- and no doubt mindless- mention of Itachi. He had merely used him as an example, yet because she had been around Itachi lately more than the aforementioned people, it struck home harder.

She truly thought about it. In terms of numbers, Itachi had lost way more than she, and in terms of those left behind to comfort him for the loss, Sakura definitely fared better; after her parents death she'd had Ino, and after Ino's death at least she'd had Naruto. Itachi had no one; unless of course, a 6-foot half-human half-shark hybrid, mass-murderer and an organization filled with psychopathic killers, could be counted as _someone_. The sudden image of the large, blue man patting a sorrowful Itachi on the back in a bout of reassurance, brought a slight smile to Sakura's lips.

She sighed, she should be grateful, and you know what _she was_. It was about time there was some change around here. She'd been presented with an opportunity-a scary opportunity in the form of Itachi- but an opportunity nonetheless. Right here she had the chance to change something, to change herself, and she couldn't help but think; a chance to change the horrid _Uchiha fate_.

Her mind seemed to come to terms with the subconscious decision before her heart could. And though she knew the road ahead would be filled with nothing but pain and frustration, she found herself unwittingly following it. Following the receding figure of a cloak-clad man.

A man that was no longer; Naruto, Sasuke or Kakashi, or even the ghost of her best friend, but a man who was counting down the days till he signed the death list.

* * *

Surprisingly, the former attack on Konoha by the Akatsuki _hadn't_ destroyed everything. A large portion _had_ been destroyed but being the stubborn shinobi nation they were, they got right back up on their feet and fixed it.

One of those places only partially destroyed happened to be the high-security prison that Sasuke was being kept in. As Sakura walked down unfamiliar corridors, she noticed an obvious transition between the parts which had been rebuilt and the furtherest part of the building in which Sasuke was being contained.

_It's almost as if this place was purposely avoided_. Sakura shook her head in disbelief, trying to shake away her suspicion but miserably failing.

Upon entering the long, familiar hall, filled with empty cells-save for the one at the very end- Sakura noticed the lack of security guards at its entrance.

_Odd, why is the security slacking so much today?_

Dragging her cased katana across the bars of the desolate cells, a tinkling sound echoed through the sterile air. Reaching the last cell, she stopped abruptly in front and turned to face the iron bars obscuring her view of the inside's occupants.

She place a customary hand on the bars as she peered inside, the cold metal sending shivers through her finger tips.

_The bars are cold…_

Reality came crashing down on her and her actions shuddered to a halt. Her hands froze against the bars, her eyes wide in apprehension.

There was no chakara barrier or reinforcement embedded within the iron bars, and although its occupant was still bound by chakara seals and shackles, the prospect still stood.

Sakura's eyes narrowed.

_So it was almost that time... huh._

Deep inside she saw Sasuke still in the same position he was everytime; lying on his back on the rusty bed, rigid as a corpse, his eyes closed to display the dark seals placed upon them.

She sighed, letting go of her anger with it. She turned around, showing her back to the cell and dropping her katana to the floor; she plonked down to the ground to accompany it. Leaning back, the icy bars pressed uncomfortably into her back, but she relaxed into them nonetheless, she _needed_ to relax.

Taking a deep breath and letting it go, Sakura began what had possibly been the hardest thing yet.

"Sasuke, listen up, I _know _your awake in there" she kept her tone placid "soon your gonna be free again, you can do what the fuck you like then, but for now you_ have_ to listen." Her voice stayed firm but took on a hard edge "I don't know if you _actually_ give a shit about what you did, _everything_ you did, but just so you know, Sasuke I am never _ever_" she hissed the word, before reiterating it in a calmer tone "ever, going to _forget_ what you did" sucking in a sharp breath through her teeth she continued on, desperately trying to keep out any emotion from pertaining her words;

"_But_, I will _forgive_ you"

Sakura paused, metal clinked at the sound of Sasuke moving, but she refused to turn around, and continued on as if she hadn't heard a sound.

"Simply because I know for a fact, _she_ wouldn't want me to live like this. But, of course there is a c_ondition_" at this she could practically hear Sasuke raising an eyebrow.

"It's simple Sasuke really; when the time comes for it, _you_ will have to forgive _me_"

Silently she stood, grasped her katana, and began walking down the hall, her final words resonating around her, bouncing of the lifeless metal bars with finality.

"Never forget that Uchiha Sasuke, you _owe_ me one"

And with that she walked out the cursed building, slamming the platinum reinforced door shut behind her, cutting of its occupants from the world, and effectively her life.

And as unwilling as it was, a slow spread of relief flooded her system. Like a vial of morphine, she felt like she had finally shut the door on a painful past, and its subdual was numbing both her mind and system with its closure.

* * *

This time they had all been summoned to the meeting, to be there _physically_ in person. And whenever the _whole_ of Akatsuki came together like this, it was _never_ good.

To Itachi it signalled pure and utter _disaster_.

And each time never failed to disappoint, this too was one of them.

"My fellow members, prepare yourself, because In three months time," at this their leaders voice seemed to gain a few octaves, much like a general prepares his men before sending them off to war "We commence our final showdown with Konoha; it's time to crush the imperious leaf, this is the _end _men" a deathly silence weighed about the room.

"The _absolute_ end"

Itachi sucked in a sharp breath, this truly was the end, because a showdown with Konoha meant the fatal showdown between him and his wayward _brother_.

He could do nothing to hinder the impending doom, and didn't want to either. But somewhere deep down inside, he felt an uncharacteristic twinge of regret; it rose to the peak of his chest and settled upon it like a five- tonne burden.

A burden that tortured him in a familiar sing-song voice. The voice of a kunochi; with bubblegum pink-hair and shimmering emerald-eyes, dressed in impeccable robes of white, her heart-shaped face tilted down staring at her hands in his; _his_ ring on _her_ finger.

* * *

A/N; Late update as per usual, just so bloody hectic down here, thats what i hate bout living in the city; everything happens too fast!

Ugh im ill, _again_, -_-, i took bechams earlier, and you know it got me wondering; in those manga's were the main charecter gets a cold and passes out (which really just _doesnt_ happen in reality), the person looking after them always runs of to the convience store to get medicine (they always seem to live off of this blood convenice store, i swear much as i love asda i need a bit of tesco in my life as well you know?); so my question being, what is this mysterious medicine? Im sorry all we have down here in reality is bloody bechams or lemsip, other than that you get antibiotics which have to be _prescribed_ by the doctors. So is it something just customary to the manga world, like Itachi and suppressed desires is to the fanfic world?

Seriously i really wanna know!

Nyways next chap out tomoro, cba to spell check rn now, and if my spelling wasnt so horrific i wudve already put it out ¬_¬

ReiraXD


	20. Liminality

"_**Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken**_

_**Hello I am the lie living for you so you can hide**_

_**Don't cry"**_

_**-Evanescence: Hello**_

Sakura's chest burned as if someone had poured gasoline down her throat and set it alight. Sharp stabbing pains shot through her feet from where they connected and disconnected with the tree trunks she was speeding of from, fast enough to split the wood and splinter her feet. It wasn't just her chest and feet that was hurting though, it was her _whole_ body. The wind was whipping by her face so fast that the delicate, abused skin of her cheeks was splitting, her eyes stung tremendously as the force of air stole all moisture from them, leaving them bare to brave the cruel winds, reddening in response.

Every other pain in her body became dull in response to the pressure she was exerting on it now. Her poor battered body, which in the past few hours had braved almost everything; from massive explosions, to severe chakara depletion- the pitiful vessel had even experienced all kinds of battering just to make it here, where is was ruthlessly pushed further to its limits. And it was a limit Sakura was _quickly _reaching.

But she couldn't stop running, no matter how her lungs felt like they were about to burst into a million tiny tissue pieces, or her feet felt like they were being ripped apart skin by skin. She _had_ to run; she had to _make_ it on time. She felt like the sands of time were gushing out from underneath her feat, threatening to leave her behind. If she _wasn't_ fast enough…—_no_, she couldn't consider the prospect.

Her mind was already racing at a hundred miles per hour, desperately trying to keep up with the breakneck speed. Memories of the day buzzed by in a blur and suddenly she was soaring through the air, chasing after the ravens flying up and away; towards the heavens she could never reach.

* * *

It had started out a relatively peaceful day, but had Sakura woke up with a rare feeling of trepidation creeping into the pit of her stomach- a feeling that remained. The sky was overcast, with loaded grey clouds, rolling by, threatening torrential rain any second; the day itself was out of place in the sunny season, as if the ominous weather itself foreshadowed a dismal day.

The explosions had started around ten in the morning and hadn't stopped since. At first they were far away and deep within the forest, then they approached; closer and closer, faster and faster, till it was just a rapid staccato of noises rattling about the restless village.

However luck seemed to be on their side, or God, or both. Because Naruto had felt it too. The same feeling of discomposure which gripped Sakura, had gripped him too. As a cautionary he had sent the whole village out on a customary evacuation alarm, and had been very strict about it too. Every civilian male and female had been evacuated to hide deep with the mountains, and sure enough a few hours later, just when everyone was starting to get impatient and agitated, their fears were confirmed. And so every single soul stayed hidden within that mountain, quiet as a mouse.

Despite the whole village being under mountain-arrest, a dominant portion was out in the village fields. That was of course, because Konoha was a _shinobi_ village, and every shinobi from Genin to Jounin was out on the battle field, all _En Garde_.

Sakura who had been standing atop the hokage tower beside Naruto, wordlessly assessing the village since dawn, had a front row view of everything as it began happening. And as the trail of explosions reached the gates of Konoha, blowing them apart, Sakura took her stance, ready to attack.

However Naruto had placed a firm hand on her shoulder, holding her back. When the Sakura looked over her shoulder into his blue eyes, she stopped short, turning back to face him fully.

Then in soft tones that broke her heart, he told her he didn't want her to go, that he wanted her to sit out this one fight, to do the job she did better than taking lives; _saving_ lives.

And then her viridian eyes hardened, when he _ordered_ her to do so, and for once she didn't have it in her to deny his simple request, unwillingly she complied.

Nevertheless her job in the hospital seemed harder than being out on the front lines, because the patients were flowing in like tides pulling up to the shore; bringing with it fresh waves of bloodied bodies.

They came in left and right and never seemed to end; the overworked kunochi couldn't help but be glad she had stayed behind. However quickly it became all too much, there were just _too many_ people, and no matter how she was a first rate medic-nin, it meant nothing in the face of this, because if she wasn't saving lives then she just wasn't _good enough_.

And just when Sakura and her fellow suffering medic-nin's were on the brink of collapse due to chakara depletion, one of the explosions came _too_ close.

Within seconds, the patients she had been labouring over for hours, the whole place, _everything _blew into pieces. With one last quip of her rapidly fading strength, Sakura strung together the fastest set of seals she had ever done before. She summoned Katsuyu just like Tsunade had taught her, spreading her chakara pool as far as she could, encasing every living soul within it.

But it wasn't good enough, she wasn't strong enough, _dammit_ she cursed herself over and over. Rising from the rubble that was once the hospital, she opened her eyes to see Katsuyu had only manage to cover three quarters of the people inside. People on the outskirts of her range never made it, people she _knew_.

Her eyes widened in horror at the massacre before her, not just from the hospital, but what the disappearance of the building had unveiled; the _destruction_ of Konoha right before her eyes. It was then she realised the explosions hadn't been part of the chain; it wasn't an explosion at all. It was some forbidden jutsu; encumbered with nothing but pure _hatred_, the gravitational force drowning the whole of Konoha in it.

A heart breaking scream ensued and Sakura's ears drowned in it. Her eyes screwed shut, her ears felt like they were bleeding; why wouldn't this person _stop _screaming?

It was only until one of the medics who had survived put a hand on her shoulder, did she realise it was herself.

…

Navigating through the debris was almost close to impossible. The jutting rocks filled every crack and crevice the ground had to offer, and the faults reached so deep that the protruding stone was tall enough not to see over.

Despite the extreme chakara depletion, after what seemed like miles and miles of searching, Sakura found him. She knew his scent and chakara signature like her own, and at the heart of all this mess he was there.

He was in full sage mode; and outwardly looked as calm and as complacent as a saint. But Sakura knew him well enough; she could see the telltale signs through his carefully trained façade. His eyes were narrowed in anger, a red tinge lighting them, his fist curled with chakara flaring around them, his stance rigid but ready to pounce. She couldn't help but think he reminded her of someone all too _familiar_.

And there standing in front of him was the cause of all this disastrous mess. The leader of Akatsuki; the man who held a contract over Itachi's head.

She felt a sudden surge of hate for the despicable man, so overpowering she had to grip Naruto's shoulder to steady herself, trying to prevent herself from lunging forward and sending a sweet tasting fist through that man's face and out the back of his orange-haired head.

She leaned closer to Naruto comically whispering in his ear, loud enough for their opponent to hear.

"_Oi_, Naruto, stop hogging all the fun" She turned to face the ginger-haired man, narrowing her jade eyes to slits "Let me give you a hand here, let the guy have a taste of his _own_ balls" she sneered at him, tempted for no logical reason to give him the finger.

However Naruto didn't seem to be feeling the jeering mood, because he turned his head over his shoulder to whisper in Sakura's ear, this time quiet enough not to be heard by the opposing side.

"Sakura…_he's_ here"

"What…" Sakura hissed, though she had half expected it when she had realised the Akatsuki were involved.

"…and _Sasuke's_ gone to fight him"

"_What!"_ Sakura screeched, this time real disbelief permeating her words.

"Sakura… go… you know what Sasuke is like, there is no way this is _ever_ going to end well…" he muttered shaking his head.

"But…Naruto…I…I can't…What about…" she trailed of, sending a pointed glare to their mobile opponent in front; who merely stood watching, an amused look displayed on his features.

_I can see why Itachi went for her; feisty little thing isn't she_, Pein inwardly mused.

Naruto dismissed the torn expression on his best friends face with a wave of his hand, understanding her concern but knowing priorities existed.

"Sakura, _Go_. Don't make me order you again" He winced hating having to pull rank on her.

Sakura's heart clenched at her best friend's valiant efforts. Leaning swiftly forward, she planted a kiss on his cheek, murmuring softly in his ear;

"_Thanks Naruto_"

Then she took of like a bat out of hell, knowing exactly where to go and just how _fast _she needed to get there.

* * *

Her vision was starting to blur, but she could see still the light at the end of the tunnel. It was vague and barely there, but it pulled her forward with an overwhelming force, soaring her though the trees. Just as she made it through the break in the forestry she began to feel the first of the fated raindrops fall upon her face.

Through the stillness of the forest and the incessant rain she broke through, screaming. The second clear light reached her eyes her vision went blurry again, for of the two figures she saw, _Itachi's_ was the one falling towards the ground.

She could hardly see. Really she was falling apart, her lungs were on fire and she was pretty sure she was hyperventilating. The rain pouring down and drenching her clothes only further obscured her vision, her body felt one step away from crumbling into a swirl of dust and yet though she knew it only made it harder to breathe, and harder to breathe whilst running at that, she couldn't stop _screaming_. The antagonizing sound was all that could prevent the sobs rising to her throat and taking over all her bodily functions, shutting down and collapsing her into a crumpled mess.

Screaming, even through the blood slithering down her throat. Sakura surged forward like devil itself roused from deep within hell, back with a vengeance.

Everything around them seemed to stop, frozen for Sakura's glorious appearance, for she was the only one moving. Sasuke stood bewildered at the woman advancing towards him like lighting from the heavens.

A crack of thunder broke the clouds as Itachi fell, and he was sure he must _already_ be dead, for he swore he saw a certain pink-haired angel just before he hit the ground.

…

The sound of the skid of footsteps and the clash of bodies as Sakura collided with Sasuke was lost in the roll of thunder echoing around the vacant area, the ruins of a past life.

Sakura's expression was passive as she did what she knew she would have to do all along.

"_Sasuke_… it's been a while, but I'm gonna have to call on that _favou_r now"

Between Sasuke's look of apprehension and dawning horror, she thrust a hand forward and straight through his abdomen, effectively piercing him in just the right place.

He never even had the _chance_ to retaliate, seconds later he slumped against her. Then removing her hand from his body she allowed him to fall to the ground. Good old oral anaesthetics.

Turning dispassionately away from Sasuke, she instantly dropped to the ground, kneeling beside the still form of Itachi.

The rain drenched them both, their clothes sticking to skin, blood seeping through open wounds and washing away with the downpour. Her hands shook violently with nerves as she reached out, carefully pulling Itachi's tall figure towards her, pivoting him on his side so that his head was resting in her lap.

Her fingers trembled as she swept away the long raven locks sticking to his face, his skin now a deathly pallor. They brushed down his stained cheeks, along his jaws and down his neck, feeling for the pulse at the base of his throat.

There was _no_ pulse.

Desperately she tried to conjure her chakara, _any_ amount of chakara, but it was a feeble amount. Regardless she charged it between her hands, using the water as conductor, felt the static burn and glow.

She pressed her charged palms to his chest, the electricity brutally convulsing his body upwards. Still she persisted, over and over charging, recharging, she had nothing left in her system but she _couldn't stop_. The tears ran free over her cheeks, mixing in the rain, streaming endlessly upon his lifeless figure.

She pumped, she charged, she breathed in through his lips.

Over and over she kept giving him the kiss of life.

But did it feel like she was giving him the _kiss of death _instead?

She cried, sobs wracking her system, strangled shrieks of pure agony erupting from her system spasmodically.

Cradling his motionless body in her arms, Sakura pumped her useless chakara through his battered body. Helplessly she turned to the restless skies, tears gushing down her cheeks, and screamed out;

"IS IT NOT _ENOUGH_!"

Her voice dropped to a whimper.

_"_…_haven't you taken enough away from me already..."_

* * *

A/N: Sorry did say id have this out earlier, but remebr that cold i mentioned i had, yeah the little bastard turned into a chest infection, and crapped up everything... so yah, got some antibiotics, then got this one out.

I am writting the next chap atm, and rllly am trying not to leave soo long between updates, hopefully ill have another out soon.

On a brighter not, Anime convention this weekend! Yay, nyone going?

A-cha ^_^

Reira XD


	21. Edge

_**"Because its too real to believe,**_

_**Yet to false to lie to you"**_

Because she wasn't strong enough, she cowered away from it. Then she fought against it. Fought with all her might to be better, because when she finally pulled herself together to do so it wasn't to prove anyone wrong, nor to prove herself. It was for the departed souls of the people she had lost.

Because _she_ wasn't strong enough to protect them, she had _failed_ them.

She had thought that after losing her parents, nothing could hurt more. Then after losing her best friend, she was _sure, __**nothing**_ would be as bad as that, that as long as she made no more connections, there would be no connections to break. Unknowingly she had drifted away from those who cared and tried to help, breaking those very connections herself.

Itachi was different. He wasn't a fleeting ghost passing through her life whom she would never remember, nor was he someone who had tried to help her, another person who had tried to bring her back to life. He was a shell, just as empty as her, he had asked for and taken _nothing_ from her, yet he left an irrevocable impression on her.

She was sure the man she knew wasn't the full essence of his being, and even if opportunity had arouse to create a circumstances in which she could learn the real man behind the face of Uchiha Itachi, she was pretty sure there wasn't much left. She didn't know a lot about him, like his favourite foods, or the type of things he did in his free time. All she knew was that he was a man who brought her staggering back to reality with his presence. He made her live by showing her there was no other way, by defying every social preconception, and being what she had always longed to be; _himself_.

And yet it was a said for that he was one big fucking _hypocrite_. She loved Uchiha Itachi because he struggled through life no matter what it threw at him, yet she ran away from it. And yet in the end he went ahead and _allowed_ his life to slip through his fingers because he thought it was the better option for his little brother; he was running away from cleaning up his own mess, through the only way he knew how, _death_.

And she wouldn't allow it. If she had to face Sasuke, so did he. It was no longer his choice, by her laws, she had taken away the authority to live for himself; now he was living for _her_.

She would make him live, and give him reason to live even if it was the last thing she did.

Because by doing so she would be not only bringing himself back to life, but also _herself_.

And it had been damned long enough, sitting in the dark, waiting for someone to come along and find them.

….

The Iron country was pretty far from the woods of Konoha, days of travel in fact. However the tattoo on her back held a secret within it; the buds of flowers bloomed at the dragon shifted to release a seal within her body. It was nowhere near as advanced as Tsunade's Yin Seal, but a fraction of its brilliance. It held a certain reserve of chakara, not enough to keep a whole village going, but enough so she could use it to teleport her to the first place that came to mind, and that place happened to be the Iron country.

She had trudged through knee deep snow before entering the first inn she could find. The woman behind the counter had casted a suspicious glance to the cloaked body mounted on her back, but had handed over a room key none the less.

Hours of resuscitating, healing, cleaning wounds, and trying to control a raging fever, went by. It was a vicious cycle; she would work on Itachi for a most of the day, then have consciousness stolen away from her by exhaustion, only to wake up again and restart the cycle. She had consumed almost every solider pill in her pocket and that had been a pretty substantial amount.

Three days went by like that, and Sakura's body was teetering on the edge; whilst trying to bring Itachi's soul back to his body, she was slipping hers away from her own. Then receiving the first relatively stable pulse in all their time there, she threaded her fingers through his and lay down on the bed next to him, pressing her wrist against hers to feel the constant thrum there, she pulsed a constant stream of chakara through his body, as sleep overtook her body. Her body which had been staying awake far beyond its limits had finally been granted the relief it was looking for.

The next three days she slept completely through. On the six night of staying in the inn, she woke up with a start, the violent whirl of a snowstorm rattling the windows. His body had stopped sucking chakara from hers through the imposed adhesive force and she felt the stop in flow immediately. The first thing she had done when she awoke, was feel for Itachi's pulse, having reassured herself of his vitality, she got up from the bed and began her cursory routine.

She redressed his wounds, cleaned the sweat of his body, coursed a batch of chakara through his system, then contented at his decreasing pallor, set off for a quick shower. Upon Re-entering the room, she rechecking his pulse, almost obsessively, then peering out the window for a sign of the time of day, she recognized it to be night outside. It must have been around two in the morning because not a whisper in the hotel could be heard.

Creeping through the building using her ninja stealth, she reached the downstairs kitchen without being spotted. The lights were off in side, and she carefully rummaged around without making a noise. Shortly after, she had finished preparing a pot of chicken porridge, a bowl of miso soup and a cup of rejuvenating green tea. Placing the items on a tray she returned to the room, as soundless and speedy as a ghost.

Placing the tray of food on the bedside table and climbing onto the large bed to wake Itachi for a meal, she delicately trailed three cool fingers across his burning forehead.

"Itachi…" she whispered in his ear.

She heard a muffled groan and his perfect face seemed to scrunch up in pain, but eventually, the doors to coal black eyes slid open to the world.

"…am I, dead?"

The relief at the sound of his voice was so strong she could help the burst of laughter that exploded from within her at his comical response. Hastily she replied.

"No Itachi, much as you would_ like_ to, you're _not_" she sighed heavily, as a wave of worry washed through her; what if he _wanted_ to be dead right now? Or worse, _hated_ her for bringing him back.

A moment passed in tense silence before his deep voice, coated with sleep spoke again.

"Sakura, is that you…?"

"Of course it is, who else would it be, satan?" she muttered sarcastically.

"Well how am I supposed to tell with the lights turned off" he seemed vaguely annoyed in his bleary state, as if a secret was being kept from his which the whole world seem to know.

"Well, you're not, because the lights _aren't_ turned off"

"Then why is it so dark in here?" Sakura stilled at his irritated question, and her heart beat fast in apprehension, her mind racing with denial.

"What are you talking about Itachi, its perfectly light in here, you still in Lala-land or something?" she replied nervously, praying for all she was worth, for his answer not to be what she thought it was.

However her prayers seemed to go unanswered once again.

"Sakura…I can't see anything"

* * *

A/N; See i am trying to update more often.

My uncle died recently, as much as i wanted to I have honestly never met him because they live in a different country, but it really struck me. Sometimes I really hate writting the stories I write, not because of typical self-concious worry of a story not being liked, but because i feel i write about a world that doesnt exist, that is completely and utterly delusional. In reality it just doesnt happen, you dont get saved at the very last second by an angel, there is no magical powers, or someone who has suffered their whole life suddenly has relief, none of that _ever _happens. But i guess that is why we turn to fanfic afterall, escape.

Anyway, i know these past chaps have been a bit dull, but thats because ive never been good at building up to something. Now here i have a question for u lot, im not sure about the ratings for stories and what should go under what so i have to ask;

Can i write a lemon for you guys? It proabably wont go all the way, because i by no means want to provide mental porn, but i want to include for this story, so please tell me if you would or wouldnt be...er offended by one?

Thanks for the kind reviews :)

Reira XD


	22. First Snow

_**Only you, only you, only wind, only wind**_

_**Even today, I laugh and cry as I walk along**_

_**Because even if I see your image, tears of happiness form**_

_**I'm like a fool, only wind, only wind**_

_**I want to show you, then I change my mind and end up hiding my feelings**_

_**So that even if love is not possible that this lasts forever**_

_There was no way out. The walls were closing in on him and he was sure he was going to drown; in fact he was surprised to find he was still alive. Considering all he had been through, surely having one's heart stabbed repeatedly with a twelve inch blade would kill you. Is was the basic laws of nature; when the heart goes, so does the soul._

_Or did the laws of nature not apply here?_

_The young boy was so confused, walking around in endless circles without a clue as to where he was supposed to go- he had already forgotten. He was supposedly at the 'peak' of his career, having been awarded ANBU status three days ago, and yet here he was with the most important mission ever bestowed upon him in his hands, yet for the life of him he couldn't remember exactly what it was._

_Silky black hair bound by an elastic band streamed out behind him as he turned a corner into another of the many halls within the complicated structure of the place. He started at his left palm where he'd drawn out the basic layout of the place, and small inked arrows on his map directed him to his destination._

_He was lost, he had to be. Because he'd been following his map for what seemed like forever yet he wasn't reaching the end of it. Had he drawn the wrong map on his hand? He turned to his right hand in further confusion._

_However now on his previously blank palm, was the clear, oil black, print of three tomoe, perfectly aligned to the shape of a circle in direct middle of his small palm._

_He looked at the sign in confusion, why did it look so familiar? The three markings shifted on his hand then started spinning, faster and faster, till it was sucking him in to a whirlwind of black circles._

_The exit had finally been reached. He was spat out of the place, thrown through the back doors which collapsed under the force of his expulsion. Standing up from the mess of wood and glass, he shook himself off once before looking around himself, taking in his surroundings. _

_He was back in the Uchiha compound, how did he get here? However he was distracted from the strange situation he was shoved in, by the slender silhouette of a woman approaching him, framed by the setting sun._

_He recognized her in an instant, it was his dearest mother. A smile formed on his lips and he ran towards her, reaching for her out stretched hand._

_The young teen walked happily beside his mother, the cool evening wind gently sweeping past them. They mounting the stairs to the side entrance, his mother slid the tall red doors open and they slipped inside._

_Inside was the complete opposite of outside. Outside was light; illuminated by the rising moon and settling sun, Inside was dark. Immediately Itachi felt himself robbed of light. He grasped tighter onto his mothers hold, reaching out with trembling hands to hold on to her waist for more security._

_Another hand caught him, stopping him. It wasn't his mother's hand. It was rough and abrasive, and suddenly more and more hands were grabbing him, pulling him roughly, throttling him, dragging him. He felt it the second his mother's hand and his own were disconnected, franticly he grasped at thin air, feeling desperately through the darkness for her. But he couldn't find her, he wasn't allowed to. The hands were still holding onto him, and in that moment being ANBU meant nothing, because he still wasn't strong enough- not strong enough to protect his dearest mother._

_A door was opened and he was thrown inside an empty room. He heard the door slam shut and knew he was alone. He cried out, clawing blindly at the door which wouldn't open, tears streaming down his cheeks; calling out for his mother, for he was too afraid of the darkness to abide in it alone._

_A sharp piercing light illuminated the room, he turned glancing helplessly over his shoulder to where it had originated from. At the other end of the room someone had opened the door, allowing moonlight to stream in from the opening, flooding the room with it._

_Even from the small opening the light bathed everything in the room, and it was then Itachi recognised the room he was in._

_And he was wrong, he wasn't alone inside it. There at the other end, holding the door open with a horror stricken expression was his dearest younger brother, why did he look like that?_

_Ah yes, because there at his feet were the bodies of his mother and father. Dead, lifeless, covered in blood. Blood which spilled across the floor and drenched his clothes, stained his hands, stole his vision._

_A scream erupted around the room, echoing throughout the whole compound, so loud and so shrill, glass split and shattered to it. Millions of shards of glass flew through the room shooting in all directions, slicing this way and that, blood poured down his face, and gushed into his mouth, blocking his airways, his hands rushed to his throat, blood smeared the pale white skin there, he couldn't breathe! He needed air-_

…

Sakura awoke with a choked gasp, her eyes shot open and she struggled to get up. Sweat plastered her pink lock to her face and she looked around herself in a sort of dazed confusion, taking in her surroundings.

Everything came back in such a rush she felt a wave of vertigo wash over her, so much so that she leaned back, falling to lay flat on her back again. She turned to her side, an odd sensation encasing her hand.

Beside her lay Itachi, fast asleep with a disturbed look marring his perfect features. Her hand was plastered to his forehead, the lazy hum of chakara still pulsing from her to him. It was her futile attempt to right the wrong she had committed.

Breaking the connection as she peeled her hand of his forehead, she brought it to her lap, staring at the appendage in wonder as if were no longer part of her. Faintly she could still feel it, the prickling tingles under the sheath of skin where blood rose to her blistered palm.

Her wide gaze shifted wildly between her palm and the sleeping form beside her. Had she just…? _No_, she couldn't have! She tried to reason with herself;_ it's not possible_!

However when she turned towards Itachi, his expression twisted in pain and agony, a layer of cold sweat glazing his skin, his body twitching ever so slightly, as if someone was torturing him in ways she could never imagine… still how was that even _possible?_

Had she been invading Itachi's _dreams_?

Actually, she thought, it seemed more like a _nightmare_. And from the looks of it, one he was still suffering from.

Turning around fully, wiping the hair from her face and shaking her sore limbs, Sakura sent a small force of chakara towards her hand.

Her small hands stroked the side of Itachi's face. When he was sleeping seemed to be the only time he showed his true emotions, yet why did that emotion always have to be one of pain. It just wasn't fair; _everything_ this beautiful man before her had suffered was just so fucking _unfair_.

The feel of his skin was soft under her fingers, and she relished in being able to touch the face she had always been afraid of admitting she wanted to. As her fingers trailed down, from the corner of his eyes to the edge of his jaw, a pang of worry ran through her; his cheeks were so hollow.

His jaw tensed underneath her fingers, and remembering his predicament, she berated herself for getting carried away…er…_stroking?_ Him whilst he was in pain. Tenderly she placed her nimble fingers to the back of his neck, directing a swift shot of chakara to his pressure point, forcing him into unconsciousness.

Almost instantly the drug like effect of chakara slipped in, his expression visibly relaxed and Sakura sighed in relief to see him finally getting some peaceful sleep.

Pulling up the covers, and tucking them around his still form, Sakura placed a gentle peck on his cheek before quietly slipping off the bed.

Picking a towel of the radiator, she headed into the shower. Locking the door behind her and twisting the knob on the shower, Sakura waited a while for the hot water to kick in, before stepping in.

She sighed world-wearily, running her hands through her tangled tresses and pulling them from their tight bun. She tried stretching her limbs; stiffness from being in the same position and healing another person was starting to settle into her body. But nothing would do, her body was tired and weary, it felt like with every step closer she was bring Itachi to life, she was taking her own closer to death.

For once the hot water did nothing to soothe her, irritated she slid down to the floor of the bath and pulled her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around them and placing her chin on her knee as the water rained down around her.

Oddly enough the shower had become the only place she could think clearly. Something about staying in the same room as Itachi and thinking about him at the same time, muddled her thoughts terribly. Perhaps because the larger portion of her thought process was focused on him.

And the second she thought about him, the guilt came crashing down on her as heavy as the water droplets burning holes in her delicate skin, and leaving her if possible, even more tired than before.

It was all her fault, there was no way round it, and she blamed no one but herself.

Her negligence had caused this. She had fought for his life. When she first entered his body with her chakara to fix all the damage Sasuke had caused, she had made a stifling discovery.

Itachi had a cancer embedded within his body. It spread throughout his chest, wrapped around his heart and lungs, and poisoned all surrounding tissue.

She blamed Sasuke for this, for being such a stubborn ass and not forgiving his brother so he could receive treatment. She also blamed Konoha's council for this, because they were the bastards for instigating everything. But mostly she blamed herself for not noticing it until it slapped her in the face.

And even though she had delved into his body with her chakara before, she had never spotted it, maybe because she refused to pity what she had seen a brutal murderer and refused to look deeper. Now her mistakes were coming back to bite her in the ass.

She was no angel of salvation, but somehow she had managed it. She had beaten the cancer using a strength she never even knew she had. Naruto _was_ right, she was better at helping people rather than killing them. However she wouldn't put it all down to herself, she felt an external kind of power, pulling her trough. And whether it was Itachi's will to live or old sprits repaying a favour, she managed to beat it somehow.

However in her haste, what she thought to be pretty damn good medic skills for subduing the cancer, she had missed out something crucial.

The way in which she had tried to heal his body, was by redirecting all his chakara and hers to the centre point of the disease. She had forced all systems to flow towards his chest so that the more chakara in that area the more she could manipulate it to heal his body.

It was amazing how Itachi actually had chakara left in his body; _I guess he wasn't a renowned shinobi for nothing_, Sakura thought, impressed by his sheer reserves. She had begun to think Itachi perhaps hadn't given his all to the fight with his brother.

Before starting curing the cancer raiding his body, she had made sure to stabilise all stab wounds, broken bones and ribs, internal bleeding, and anything else that would be affected by the removal of instant chakara from their area. However her fault had been in this, she had been looking for injuries, blood, broken bones and bruising, because she hadn't be looking for it she hadn't discovered the complete shut down of one of his most important organs.

His eyes.

And had they had chakara in their area they would have probably begun to heal slowly, but not fully, by themselves. He wouldn't see clearer or better than before, perhaps much worse, but he would no doubt not be what he was right now;

Blind.

The water cascading down on her had begun to run cold but Sakura didn't even notice it, not even her body begin to shiver nor the Goosebumps rising to her skin. The conversation she'd had with Itachi revolving endlessly around in her head, leaving no room for further thought.

"_Itachi…" her voice was hoarse and she could barely hear herself "Itachi….I'm so sorry…" she whispered, placing her head in her hands._

_Itachi could hear the anguish in her voice, what was she blaming herself for? He sighed reaching out to where he could hear her voice coming from, and managing to touch her cheek, he winced at the wetness he felt there._

"_Sakura, I fail to see how this could ever be your fault" his questioned, irritation evident in his voice. For fucks sake the woman had just saved him and she was now blaming herself for something as menial as his lost eyesight. Had she finally gone mad?_

"_Itachi…you don't understand…" Then she proceeded to explain to him the whole process and how she had caused it. He had silently nodded along to the sound of her voice, quickly picking up on the details with his incredible wit._

"_And I repeat; I still fail to see how this is your fault" he gave a level stare to where he thought her to be._

"_It is…" she murmured guiltily, repeating to herself "It is…"_

"_Don't be ridiculous Sakura, it's quite the opposite, you have done so much for me already…"_

"_Do you…do you hate me for it…?" she began hesitantly._

"_No Sakura, because like I said, I don't blame you" his patience wearing thin._

"_I meant, for bring you back, do you hate me for it"_

_There was a heavy pause as her words sunk in and they rolled around in his mind waiting to be understood. Eventually he responded to her words._

"_Of course not" here he placed a hand on his chin contemplatively "I think…I am...Glad for it"_

"_If you are, then why did you throw your life away to begin with!" she retorted hastily._

* * *

She brought him food and he sat up in bed, listening to the sounds of birds chirping against the frosty window.

His eyes were open but his gaze was blank, their line of empty sight resting on nothing in particular. At the sound of her entering the room, he turned his head towards her.

Placing the tray on the bedside table she climbed on the bed next to him.

"How you feeling…" she began caringly, slipping into doctor mode, she placed a hand on his forehead to check his temperature.

"Perfectly fine" he muttered, catching her hand on his forehead and bringing it to his lips.

Sakura smiled, she unsure of his feeling but at least he wasn't pushing her away. And she figured; it was time to find out just that.

"Are you sure?" She murmured, leaning close, so he could feel her breath against his cheeks and not be alarmed by her presence.

Her fingers spread to his cheeks as she brought her lips to his, laying a gentle kiss there. She breathed in his comforting scent before pulling away again.

"As long as you're here…" came his belated response.

He reached out, catching his hand perfectly around the back of her neck and drawing her back to him, slanting his lips against hers in a chaste kiss.

She smiled reaching out to the bowls of food on the side table.

* * *

It was noon…or somewhere around that time, for the couple in the room couldn't tell; one blind to the light of day, the other too weary to find out if her predictions were correct.

Sakura sat on the edge of the window sill, staring blankly out the window, the cold seeping through the aged framed and chilling her form. The cold didn't bother her though, she sat, enjoying the breeze as she watched two birds flutter and fall, then rise again, chasing each other in playful circles. There was nothing for her to do, all she could do was rest and try to recover as much chakara as possible, because whilst Itachi was sleeping like this, she didn't feel like doing anything, leaving the room would make her worry for his safety too much.

Directing her indolent gaze towards the bed where her charge slept, she was surprised to find he was in fact awake. Wide awake, staring at her with that intense, smouldering look in his eyes. She turned to face him fully, he appeared deep in concentration, whilst at the same time keeping his line of sight perfectly fixed on her.

The intensity so strong, it momentarily overwhelmed her, sending her reeling with the thought that his eye sight had suddenly returned. A wave of worry and hope encased her, crushing her with its passion.

She rose hesitantly from her perch, hoping desperately his gaze would follow her.

"Itachi…are you ok?" she questioned gently, her voice trembling slightly.

His gaze snapped to where she now stood in the middle of the room, as if disturbed from a train of thought, the focused concentration on his face slipped away in an instant, returning to his usual passive, expressionless mask.

"What would make you think otherwise?" He questioned dryly, hiding the anxious thought that she had somehow been able to read what was on his mind.

At first Sakura didn't reply, for she was too busy soundlessly jumping up and down, flailing her hands in the air, then bringing them back down to her sides and breaking into a silent version of the Macarena.

After a relatively lengthy period of silence, Itachi spoke up again, confused by her lack of response.

"Sakura, you still there?"

A loud sigh escaped her body, and her limbs instantly went limp at his words, tiredly she collapsed against the wall. _So he can't see me after all_, Sakura thought remorsefully, _Unless he wants to me to keep dancing like a twat for his own amusement, _she mentally continued sarcastically, _…actually knowing Itachi that would be quite like him…_

The deep sound of Itachi clearing his throat interrupted her mental ramblings, and Sakura came to the painfully conclusion that Itachi hadn't suddenly regained his sight; he just had uncanny senses despite blindness and chakara depletion.

"I'm still here…" she admitted with a tired sigh.

Another bout of silence ensued, and Sakura felt something unsaid lingering in the air. The strange sensation that Itachi wanted to say something but was reluctant to, was new to Sakura, and she began to think maybe, just maybe she was starting to crack the impossible Uchiha.

After a few more moments of silence, to which Sakura had returned to her perch on the window sill, her suspicions were confirmed.

"Sakura…"

"Hm" She replied, turning to the sound of his voice.

"Did you kill Sasuke?" His voice seemed passive and emotionless, devoid of any deeper feelings but she suspected a sort of anxiety behind it. The question itself was so blunt and direct, it stunned Sakura momentarily, _where did that come from?_

However just a quickly she regained herself, and his words provoked a deep set reaction within her; like a flame to gas, she had to restrain herself from exploding, instead her words came out more as a subdued growl.

"Are you…are you actually _worried_ about him?" She asked incredulous, swallowing and trying to control her bubbling anger "even after all he has done to you?"

She strutted over to him, pressing her fingers incessantly to his temples.

"Are you _sure_ your okay?" she insisted, threading a stream of chakara through her fingers, using any opportunity she could to pump chakara into him and try heal his eyes.

However as per usual, Itachi reached up and removed her hands, grasping her smaller ones between his own and pulling them to his lap, and forcing her to sit down beside him on the edge of the bed.

"Sakura, regardless of what has transgressed between us, he is _still_ my younger brother" he reasoned, his voice soft yet firm, considerate of her impassioned state.

"Yeah, your fucking insane younger brother, with a vendetta to kill _you_" she huffed, drawing her hands out of his and crossing her arms.

"And whose fault is that exactly?" he asked rhetorically, glaring in her direction.

"Itachi…I.." Sakura began, but knew she couldn't answer that one, after all to some extent it _wasn't_ Sasuke's fault that he hated him. Unsure of the scrambled words in her mind she desperately tried to get out, she blurted; "It's just not _fair!_"

"Sakura, _life_ isn't fair" he replied blandly.

"But Itachi, don't you care! You could have had a _life_, you have had everything! You could have had it all! But because of _him_ you can't!" she cried pointing savagely in some random direction he couldn't even see, anger pushing over for the overwhelming sense of justice within her.

"Sakura, it was _never _him, you know it was because of _them_"

"Its everyone's fucking fault Itachi! I know it! I just…I can't…Its not…" she stammered exasperated, she threw her hands in the air, unable to express herself.

"It is" He agreed "but it doesn't _matter_ anymore" he continued, taken aback somewhat by her passionate regard for the injustice done to him.

"It does! That's a whole life time taken away from you Itachi, your whole life up until now, your past is nothing but _bloodshed!_" she slammed her fists to her lap, hanging her head down to prevent the torrent of emotions flooding over.

"It _doesn't_" he reiterated, an authoritative tone taken to his voice "the past doesn't matter anymore"

"How can you say that!" she whispered, a rebellious tear rolling down her cheek and falling to her lap.

"Because…" he began, surprising Sakura by the soft tone to his voice, "_I have you_" his hands steadily moved forward, hesitantly searching for her hands, and Sakura aware of his ministrations moved to place them readily in his large hands.

Silence reigned for what seemed like eternity; Sakura moved by his sudden declaration, and Itachi shocked by his own sudden revelation.

"So cheesy" she muttered, a light blush colouring her cheeks.

Nevertheless she smiled; she had finally cracked the Uchiha. And her heart was beating erratically in her chest, jumping to her throat with the desperation to get her own feeling spilling out. Opening her mouth to speak, her words were cut off as Itachi reached up to trail the back of his hand across her cheeks, the other holding both her hands securely in his own.

His long fingers traced the edge of her cheeks, skimmed along her jaw, and when she opened her mouth to speak, his thumb grazed the corner of her bottom lip.

She gasped quietly, almost forgetting the words within her.

"Itachi…" she murmured, instinctively moving closer to him, as opposing ends of magnets draw to each other. And with every inch she moved, she got closer and closer to losing her thought process.

"Hm.." he replied, moving forward himself, and titling his head down towards hers, till he could feel her breath on his chin, where he shifted lower to feel it on his lips.

She screwed her eyes shut tight, trying hopelessly not forget her words before his alluring presence overwhelmed her.

"Live for me"

He stilled at her words, his frame stiffing, and Sakura almost pulled back, worried she had said the wrong thing.

Then with perfect precision, belying that of a blind person, his hand cupped her face and his lips crashed down on hers.

She was thrown for a moment by the sheer intensity of his kiss. However his sinful lips melted her and she quickly regained her senses, reciprocating with just as much fervour.

Hastily she tore her hands from his grasp, twisting them in his hair, the other grasping onto his thigh to keep herself forward, her lips moved deadly in sync with his.

Itachi's hand moved from her face to tangled in her hair, running his fingers through the long tresses and caressing his hands down the length of her back. She shivered for the things he was doing to her; did he know just how _good_ that felt?

His other hand stretched out, meaning to catch on to her waist but instead grabbing her hips. He then made move to withdraw, for he was sure he was being far too forward in his mistake. However small hands caught his own, keeping them on her, but in her rush to pull his hands back she only served to pull them further down around her hips, and tight against- what Itachi thought to be- her very fine ass. Sakura flushed dark with the suggestions this provoked, and felt Itachi smirk against her lips.

The awkward position they were in proved difficult for full access from both sides, and utilising his hold on her lower extremities, Itachi pulled Sakura up and onto his lap, placing her legs either side of him, surprising Sakura with his boldness and unexpected strength.

But Sakura's inhibitions were lost the moment he titled her neck up and ghosted his lips down the length of her neck. For someone who couldn't see he had an unnerving sense of precision. His lips trailed to the hollow in her neck, the valley between her collarbones, sucking on the sheath of skin, burning it with his mark a crimson red.

A soft moan escaped Sakura's lips, and she trembled as his lips moved lower, dominating her. His teeth grazed the edge of her clavicle, as his fingers swept aside the collar of her obstructive shirt to reveal more skin, allowing his lips to dip lower and lower, till his kissed the rim of her breasts. Teasingly his tongue dipped down, as his hands crept from her hips to curve along her toned thighs, caressing the skin, causing her to shift on top of him with the odd sensation, pressing their lower regions more intimately together.

Sakura could hear Itachi's sharp intake of breath as she did this, and with a smirk on her lips at eliciting a reaction from the usually passive man, she moved again, repeating her actions in a harder more aggressive way.

His lips moved from her breasts and crossed their way back up the route they had taken, taunting her cruelly for he knew she took pleasure in his weakness. A moan of displeasure reached his ears and a victorious grin spread across his lips. Sakura perceiving his reaction and seeking dominance smoothed her hands across his ample chest, lightly dancing a finger along his muscles, sensitively tracing the outline of his abs, inching lower and lower to run along the outline of hip bones.

He groaned into her lips as he pulled them back to him, his tongue slipping in between her lips and doing things to her body she didn't even know were possible.

His lips sucked lower on her lips and she rolled against him, bringing their bodies if possible even closer together. Unintentionally his teeth grazed her lower lip as his moved down to kiss her chin.

Sakura felt the seam of a cut split across her lips with his movement and instantly she forced a stream of chakara to the area desperately trying to heal the wound before Itachi discovered it. However the chakara wasn't coming fast enough, the things Itachi was doing to her was screwing with her mental process and her chakara was already depleted making it even more difficult.

When his lips returned the taste of blood was undeniable. She hoped he wouldn't notice, but knew it was a futile wish. For the second their lips met, he tasted it, his body instantly stiffened, and he pulled back.

"Sakura, your bleeding" his voice was hoarse.

"I'm pretty sure I finished my period was a couple of weeks ago" came her nervous reply

"Sakura" his voice instantly became serious and broached no argument.

"Itachi, its fine, it's nothing" Sakura huffed, annoyed with the interruption and her own inability to heal such a simple cut before he noticed it.

"It's not _nothing_, you're bleeding"

"Like I said, its fine, it's just a small cut, why is this bothering you so much?" Sakura questioned now confused.

"Because I caused it" came his level response. He closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, pulling it back from his face, which held an expression of deep self-hate.

Sakura threw her hands in the air exasperated and they came to land on his chest with a smack, he seemed to get the message and turned his face back towards her.

"Ok I think it's time we set things straight here, number one; Itachi you fucking _stabbed_ me before, that's a little more than a small cut! Why should this matter now!"

"That was different" he retorted, a hard edge to his voice.

"I don't see how! We're still the same people, just different feelings" she raised a hand to his cheek and cupped it "If anything this means such a small cut matters even _less_" she finished softly.

"No Sakura it matters more" He turned his face away, and gently but firmly removed her hand from his cheek "Everything I touch burns, _everything_."

"Itachi-" she started desperately trying to end his tirade of self blame, but his voice sharply cut her off.

"Sakura, please…" he implored, covering his face with his hand as he lowered his head.

Sakura opened her mouth to reply but no words came out.

"Leave"

* * *

_**Omake**_

"Sakura, your bleeding" his voice was hoarse

"I'm pretty sure I finished my period was a couple of weeks ago" came her nervous reply

"Sakura" his voice instantly became serious and broached no argument.

"Itachi, its fine, it's nothing" Sakura huffed, annoyed with the interruption and her own inability to heal such a simple cut before he noticed it.

"It's not _nothing_, you're bleeding"

"Just fuck me Itachi! Before the world ends, shot me with your pistol!"

Itachi looked taken aback for a moment his expression torn. Sakura sensing his hesitance moved forward again, swiftly pulling off her top then wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her breasts against him.

"Sakura…" Itachi's strained voice pleaded.

"Itachi, don't I'm ready already…" Sakura panted, moaning into his ear.

"Sakura I really can't!"

"Why!" Sakura complained, rubbing herself against him, pleased when she heard him groan in response.

"Because Sasuke cut off my—"

"HE DID WHAT!"

* * *

A/N; so sorry for the uber slow update, its just so hard for me to write rite now, i have exams coming up and uni application and everything is just so darn stress full (as Gary from running man would say; "stress, stress!"). I really try to finish studying early so i have time to write, but i get so sleepy u have no idea and just fall asleep on my desk sometimes.

Also thank u so much for the reviews, this story wud have been screwed ages ago if it wasnt for u guys, and also thank u for ure condolences, and actually reading my crazy commentary on life.

The chorus(?) at the start is from Sg Wannabe's- Only wind only wind, has anyone heard it? Love it, so sad. And if u do decide per chance to search it up, search Partner for life(p2) by the same band, so damn sad, i cried like a baby watching it- im a sucker for sad romance.

AND IS COMPLEXTION NOT A WORD! DARRRR THE WORLD NO LONGER MAKES SENSE TT_TT

Ugh my laptop is soooo slow nowadays(no wonder with all the shit i put in it), we need a "Buy Reira a macbook" campaign P

Lastly, conceding with popular request a lemon shall be added, but as i mentions before no porn, so im trying to make up for the lack of update with a 3 chapter update in one go, hopefully the next chapter will be out by, lets see, next year?

I joke, hopefully within the next few days.

Love

Reira XD

* * *

**_Edit;_**_Hi, im reallly sorry to say this, but looks like my irony has come true, the next chapter wont be up with in the next few days, and in all honesty probably the next few weeks. I really hate saying this and truly am sorry, but my exams are so soon as im sure many of ures are, and im a perfectionist when it comes to writing. Typically it takes me so long to get a chapter out cuz i spend so long on it to begin with, more than just a couple of hours. So please bear with till my last exam and i promise i will spam u with fanfic like crazy, to the point u will want me to stop XD_

_Also thank u soo much for the reviews! _


	23. Impossible

A/N; If you have read this chap b4, the changes start from after the line; "The clock read; 6:47pm 31st December."- and there are many changes.

* * *

_**Like ice, the embraced heart slowly starts to thaw**_

"Fine" came Sakura's terse reply.

With that last word which hung between them like the stench of death, Sakura grabbed her cloak from the armchair, shoved her feet in her boots, and without even a look back marched through the door. Of course, not forgetting to slam it loudly behind her, trembling the door frame and the wall it was embedded in, even causing a spider web crack to climb up the door.

Trudging through the deep snow miserably, Sakura pulled the cloak closer around her, covering her tattered clothing which were providing pathetic effort to keep away the cold. A shiver wracked her body, and Sakura realised much less than the thick snow falling down around her, it was the ice within her heart which caused it.

A block which landed there solidly and decided to take up permanent residence in her chest, spreading through and numbing her lungs, stalling her breath and shaking her body with its fury. She hated it, but for the first time in so long, sobs of grief wracked her, following the tears flowing down her cheeks and melting the snow.

Roughly wiping away the tears with the back of her hand, she hurried along the street, spotting the worn out sign of a pawn shop. Passing a few other stores when she was close enough, she entered the alleyway beside, hiding herself from view (although there weren't many people about anyway) and slipping her hand under her shirt, she ripped something off from the camisole she wore under her shirt.

Wrapping the cloak back around herself properly, she approached and entered the pawn shop. Inside it was empty, and appeared as though it hadn't seen a customer in weeks, maybe even months, not that there was much on display anyway. Hesitantly she walked up to the front, where an old man smoking a cigar sat behind a glass display case, reading a yellowing newspaper.

When he didn't look up, Sakura dropped the item on the table- the shrill, clattering sound drawing his attention.

"How can I help you ma'am?" He coughed then grumpily questioned, sparing a bored gaze to the item she had placed.

"I'd like to cash this in" she replied in a flat tone, pointing to the counter-top.

He looked down once more, then up at her again, raising one non-nonsense eyebrow.

"Just weigh it, you'll see" Sakura huffed irritated, not only at the difficulty this man was presenting her, but at having to stand in the cold longer than necessary.

Reluctantly aged fingers reached down and picked the item, twisting it in his fingers a few times, before dropping it on the scales. His eyes widened in disbelief before he picked it up again, hastily reaching under the counter for his magnifying glass, which he used to fully inspect it.

"Miss this is…" he turned to her astonished, pointing helplessly at the piece of metal in his fingers, worth more than he could ever own.

"I know what it is" she sighed impatiently.

"But I don't even have that much!"

"It doesn't matter, just give me whatever you can" Sakura smiled at the man's honesty, and watched as he clicked open the counter, emptying its entire contents into a nondescript small sack, then going out back and reaching under the floorboards for other stores of money.

"Here you go, miss" the man beamed happily handing over the sack of money.

Sakura smiled gratefully, taking the sack, which wasn't even worth half the amount of what she had traded in and hiding it under her cloak , then instructing the man to keep the whole incident a secret.

Sakura exited and no one was the wiser of the transaction which had just taken place, carefully she patted the sack which was attached to her waist band and was glad for its value. Every shinobi had to have a nugget of some important metal or jewel on their person, before leaving for a long mission. It was one of the new rules which Naruto had implemented and it had proved infinitely useful. Shinobi were only allowed to use it under dire circumstances, and had to keep it securely hidden at all times.

Sakura kept hers, a small strip of Ruthenium in the left side of her camisole, of course this was difficult when changing between missions but she had always kept it in mind, just in case. That just in case which also meant, she now needed a new camisole.

Heading down an alley with a set of stairs at its end slopping downwards, Sakura followed it, sensing strong chakara activity underneath. At the end of the stairs she met with a wondrous sight, stunning her still.

The stair case opened up into a large underground bazaar, at the end of which there were tunnels, or more streets, stemming of in all directions with shops and malls embedding in every inch of wall. Sakura stared in disbelief, it was alive with activity down here, people or all kinds going about, yet the surface was as empty as a graveyard. Guess it was too cold even for the snow people.

There she stood, momentarily dumbfounded in the blur of motion. Her eyes scanned quickly for the reason behind the incredible mass of people milling about, she didn't even know the population of the iron country exceeded this much.

Her feet took her, much in a daze, through the streets, her eyes drinking in the overwhelming scene. Eventually she reached a junction, and looking in all four directions, she noticed a large gleaming clock hoisted high above at the top of a long golden pole.

The clock read; 6:47pm 31st December.

The brimming crowd, festivity, bubbling laughter and chatter; all became clear to her. It was New Years Eve. It had been a long time since Sakura had celebrated any sort of festivity, however despite the cheerful atmosphere and lively bazaar music, Sakura couldn't help feel a pang of sorrow, perhaps because ever since Ino died, she'd always had to face these things alone.

* * *

"Fine" came Sakura's terse reply.

Itachi sighed, exasperated, bring his palm to his face, he groaned into it.

Great, just great. Why did he always screw things up with Sakura? What was he to do if she wouldn't come back?

He sighed again, his shoulders slumped, and he decided there was no point thinking about it now, he would wait and see if she came back and if she didn't he would go look.

First, he needed to shower. Shifting to the edge of the bed, and placing his hands either side of him, he found it difficult to support his weight, so used the headrest for support and pulled himself up. Once standing, he wobbled dangerously, before stumbling over to the wall and using it to keep himself upright.

He followed the feel of the wall, and despite his blindness, managed to find the entrance to the bathroom. Cautiously he stuck his arms out in front of him and felt his way around the small bathroom.

To his right, he felt along the wet of the ceramic sink, then across the cold of the tiled counter top, until his fingers reached the soft, dry of clothing and towels. Smirking at his blinded victory, Itachi, felt around for an appropriate towel amongst the pile of clothing.

His fingers found something, soft and silky, and curious he picked it up, wondering what such smooth material could be doing in a hotel bathroom. Running his fingers across its surface, he felt the delicate velvety texture of round material, then yielding lace, and at the end something metallic and hard.

Suddenly it occurred to him what item of clothing was in his hands. It was a bra, it had to be. And since the only other female he was aware of sharing a room with was Sakura, that meant this was her bra. And, since he was pretty sure this was an unplanned journey and Sakura had not 'packed' for it, that meant this was the only bra she had on her person. And since said bra was currently not on her person, and in his hands that meant…

Damn his super, fast, over-analytical mind, he cursed himself. Great now he needed to make that shower, a _cold_ shower.

* * *

Sakura sighed, she had spent enough time mourning her loses and her loneliness in the past and now was not the time! She had places to go and things to buy, with that spark of mental motivation, she lightly slapped her cheeks a few times to get rid of the frown, and off she went, not caring about the direction, nor the shop, just going along her way to buy the few necessities she needed.

A hour and a half later, Sakura's arms were brimming with bags of tops, trousers, jackets, shoes, underwear, rucksacks, weaponry, snacks- and anything she could possibly think Itachi and she would need. It saddened her to know she would part with Itachi soon, but she figured at least whilst she was here she would try to make him happy; and apparently, she thought, she wasn't off to a very good start.

A melancholy sigh escaped her lips, and as her languid gaze fell across the shops she passed, the sudden glimmer of something familiar caught her eye.

Halting her footsteps outside an old Chinese shop, a nostalgic smile fell upon her lips as she entered the store.

The old place, lined with dark oak, and framed pictures, held cases of glass cabinets against almost every wall of the small, square room. Her heart clenched as a familiar childhood memory sprung to life, it was of her eighth birthday, and her parents gifted her with a pair of round jade earrings to fill her newly pierced ears. And then another memory followed, of one years back, on her 13th birthday Ino had bought her a jade earring because she knew how much Sakura cherished the ones she already had, of course being Ino the price for a pair of earrings was much too expensive and Sakura was gifted only a singular one, that being the only reason she consequently obtained a cartilage piercing.

A man matching the age of the shop appeared from behind a screen of beaded curtains and entered the room, a kind, sort of wistful smile on his weathered face. Standing beside Sakura, he offered to open the case for her and she happily agreed.

Sakura held a particular piece between her fingers, the smooth contours blissful under her skin. The old man spotted the conflicted look in her eyes- longing and fear warred between her eyes just as brilliantly jade as the stone in her fingers.

Memories and experience easily translated her despondent countenance into one of a youngster in love; desperately willing, but exceedingly afraid of rejection. This sweet young lady who had the look of someone having passed through hardships deserving of at least twice her age, was afraid the one she wanted to gift this to wouldn't accept it.

Smiling, his deep, comforting voice echoed around the room as his skilful words attempted to persuade her out of her confusion;

"You know what Confucius said" he began, directly quoting; " 'The wise have likened jade to virtue. For them, its polish and brilliancy represent the whole of purity; its perfect compactness and extreme hardness represent the sureness of intelligence; its angles, which do not cut, although they seem sharp, represent justice; the pure and prolonged sound, which it gives forth when one strikes it, represents music. Its colour represents loyalty; its interior flaws, always showing themselves through the transparency, call to mind sincerity; its iridescent brightness represents heaven; its admirable substance, born of mountain and of water, represents the earth. Used alone without ornamentation it represents chastity. The price that the entire world attaches to it represents the truth.'"

Sakura, stood staring momentarily astounded at the man, the smooth gush of words relayed to her washing over her and brushing back again in her mind.

Her features slipped free of worry and set into a clean, clear look of resolution. With a trembling smile, her fingers clenched around the stone in her hands, and her eyes shifted to the man;

"I'll take it"

* * *

It had been at least four hours since Sakura had left. Itachi knew this, not because he could read the time, but because he had been counting down the hours, the minutes and the seconds—all of them.

He sat on the edge of the bed, with his arms crossed over his chest and his hairs lose around his shoulders- he needed Sakura to help tie it properly. His body was stiff and weak, and he longed for nothing more than to go to sleep, but he had suffered for years with an illness and now a few hours wasn't going to kill him.

He would wait for Sakura to return, he _needed_ her to return. Without her he might as well return to being dead.

And if she didn't return, what was he to do?

He waited; he would wait and keep counting until five hours had passed.

If she hadn't returned by then he would go out in all his blindness and find her, even if it killed him.

….though he questioned if the anxiety wouldn't kill him before then.

* * *

Ok, she thought to herself, all she needed now was to find a pharmacist. Itachi needed fresh bandages and dressings, and she was hoping to find some natural heal-cream that was native to these parts, and perhaps even some burn cream for her hands.

As Sakura strolled through the aisles filling up her small basket, she wondered if there was any point in all the effort she was going through. What was she to do if Itachi would never let her touch him again? How could she dress his wounds then? She would have to sedate him there was no other way. But what if he didn't want her to return full stop, what would she do then? Return to Konoha, alone and dejected?

Sakura stopped in her tracks at the very direction her thoughts were taking. What was she thinking! She was going to return to Konoha alone at the end of all this _anyway_, it wasn't as if Itachi could, or even _would_ come with her.

She took a deep breath, steadying her racing heart beat and pulling a hand through her hair; a few strands came loose, the stress was really starting to take its toll. Letting her breath go in a huff, she mentally mourned the screw up she had made of her life. Before, she knew _everything_- what she was doing, where she going, and who she wasn't going home to.

Now, _now_, everything she _knew_ had changed. Now everything she wanted to do, she wanted to do with _Itachi_, everywhere she wanted to go, she wanted to go with _Itachi_, and worst of all the empty house she was supposed to return to, she wanted to return to _with Itachi_.

And, she reflected, she must be fucking insane to have such thoughts because, she _knew_ more than anything of the unsure, inevitable future she was to face, that more than anything, that everything she wanted to do _with_ Itachi, was absolutely, one hundred percent _impossible_.

A twinge of pain crept through her heart, and briefly Sakura considered going up to the counter and asking for a set of antidepressants, because at this point her chest never felt so heavy, her mind so cluttered with disheartening thoughts.

Shaking her head in irritation at having allowed herself to dwell on the matter when there was nothing to do about it, Sakura forced herself to take a step, to walk on, to _preserver_.

Towards the end of an aisle she was vacantly scanning, Sakura noticed something familiar. She stopped and stared momentarily, her thoughts carried away with the variety of colours and flavours of all the different types of condoms. Her hands betrayed her and automatically reached out, picking up a cherry flavoured pack, and twisting it to read the back.

In curvy print the words said;

"_For the ultimate sensual experience, allow the flavour of cherry to carry you away~_

_Designed for soft, smooth, comfort whilst allowing the utmost stimulating experience to blow you away...literally~"_

Sakura blinked at the words, emerald eyes wide with a mix of emotions. An odd feeling spread in her stomach, an anxious, tingling feeling at the idea the small, wondrous box beheld.

Then, just as quickly as it came, the fire and excitement in her eyes died down again. What was she thinking? It wasn't as if Itachi would do _it_ with her, heck she would be surprised if he so much as wanted to _touch_ her anymore, let alone have sex with her.

She sighed, once again, it was another of those impossible things, and reluctantly put the box back, hurrying to the counter before she got any other 'bright' ideas.

* * *

There were thirty minutes left until his mental deadline was over.

He had no idea what he would do if Sakura had left the country all together, or how he would get her back, but he swore he would.

_And what if she never wished to return? _The thought kept repeating itself in his mind like a broken record.

Well then that was her choice. It was his fault he had driven her away, and it made more sense than ever if she didn't want to return. In fact he would claim her insane for actually willing to return. And If such wasn't the case, he would simply return himself to his rightful place, the place he would be right now if it wasn't for Sakura- the grave.

Because truly he _needed_ her to be living.

Fumbling around the bed, found the thin blanket he used and wrapped it around his bare torso, preparing to brace the cold winds and deathly snow.

* * *

It was close to midnight. Sakura could feel it in the air. The cold bitter, windy air.

She sat outside the Inn, in a state of indecision. The bags around her feet, the bench she sat on and herself, were all covered in a fine dust of snow.

Her limbs trembled, and her cheeks felt frozen, yet Sakura couldn't bring herself to go back inside, what if Itachi expected her not to return? What if Itachi wasn't there himself?

Mulling over such complicated matters, Sakura realised she had never been so indecisive and worrisome till she met Itachi- had love changed her? If this sickly, painful, twisting of the gut was love, then she was pretty sure she had never felt it before.

She sighed despondently, wrapping her arms around her shivering form, and leaning back tired, and she began to nod of in to a light doze.

The sound of doors slamming awoke Sakura with a jolt, it hadn't been long since she had fallen asleep, a couple of minutes perhaps, yet the rushed sound of doors being opened and closed too quick had awoken her from her frozen dreams with a start.

She looked up worried, a nervous sensation creeping through her stomach.

Sakura couldn't believe her eyes. Because there, in the middle of the snow stood none other than Itachi, blindly glancing left and right, hoarsely calling Sakura's name. His attire consisted of nothing but a thin blanket wrapped around his topless form, his thin trousers ripped, his long hair streaming down his shoulders, and his heavily injured form swaying dangerously with the effort.

Frozen to the spot, and staring in disbelief, Sakura felt her heart break as she heard Itachi's desperate calls;

"Sakura! Dammit where are you! I can _feel_ you, but I just can't….dammit!"

As if jolted alive by a surge of electricity, Sakura jumped up, all inhibitions cast to the wind and ran as fast as her numbed legs would take her towards Itachi.

Her slim arms wrapped around his shivering body, and she buried her face in his ice cold chest- instantly comforted by his person. Clenching onto his back she cried;

"I'm here Itachi, right here"

Itachi's quivering arms, scrambled to wrap around her, but when they did, it amazed Sakura how someone in his state managed such a tight and intense embrace. Locking his arms around her waist, he buried his face in her neck, and whispered in her ear.

"Sakura… I thought you had left… _thank heavens_"

And there in the snow, as the clocks struck twelve, the lovers embrace deepened, and although not a word of apology slipped between them, all was said from the feel of each other in their arms…

* * *

…and apparently, there was more than just a _few words_ to be said. Because as they returned to their room, without a moment's hesitation, Itachi pulled Sakura into his arms, and collapsed backwards onto the bed with her.

Sakura shuddered deeply from within. Despite not wanting to destroy this totally desirable moment, Sakura couldn't help but shriek;

"Itachi! You're freezing! Heaven knows, you're going to catch bloody hypothermia this way!"

"Well you know what they say about curing hypothermia…" Itachi smirked her way.

Sakura scoffed; "As much as I want to, considering your wounds we need to get you warm fast, otherwise soon you won't even be able to do _that_" she smirked, raising an eyebrow at him.

A mild look of horror flitted across Itachi's features, and Itachi shifted the both of them sitting themselves up on the bed;

"Ok then, let's do it your way" he relented, though still refusing to remove his hands from their hold on her waist.

Grinning in victory, Sakura placed her hands on his chest, already warming with a light, innocent buzz of chakara, replying;

"Good, now I'm just going to give you a _little_ shock…"

"You're going to wha-! HOLY SH-"

Itachi's back arched, and his body reverberated with a blue, hissing wave that emanated from Sakura's palms. She knew it wouldn't harm him, but felt bad for the bitter sting of it which hurt like hell.

It was over in a second, but it took both Itachi and Sakura a few minutes to recover. Itachi sighed, reopening his eyes.

"A warning would have been ni— _holy shit_…"

Sakura's turned to Itachi in worry, never had she heard Itachi blaspheme in such a way before. Guilt gushed though her at the possibility at having done something wrong, and instantly she felt regretful for the very notion of hurting Itachi.

"Itachi, I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean t—"

Sakura's words were cut off as Itachi's lips crashed down hard upon hers. They parted breathless and Sakura red in the face, turned to Itachi questioningly.

"Itachi, what the…"

"Sakura you are a fucking _genius,_ you know that right?"

Sakura stared puzzled by Itachi's sudden change in demeanour. Why was she a genius? Using electricity to restore body warmth was a pretty common technique used by medics. Sakura was sure there was something more to it; it wasn't like Itachi to get excited over a skill he could easily achieve himself.

By the time Itachi spoke again, Sakura's nerves were like a main line with live electricity running through, there was just something about the way Itachi spoke and how he was staring _directly_ at her.

Itachi's voice echoed around the room "My eyes, I can _see_… " and Sakura felt her heart stop at his words

"What…?" she questioned in disbelief, not believing her own ears, because last time she checked, Itachi's eyes were _fried_, the chakara channels and vessels supplying his eyes were clogged with scar tissue and wouldn't respond to anything, for them to just magically 'reboot' was close to _impossible_.

Sakura's fingers instantly rushed to Itachi's temples seeking any sort of mental defect, but to her ultimate surprise there was absolutely nothing wrong, in fact everything was _right_, even better than right. It was as if Itachi's eyes had magically reset themselves with the electric shock; the chakara flow towards them now stronger than ever before.

Jade eyes gleamed over as they watched in awe a real live medical miracle, her pulse sped and her heart ached, what a fucking _miracle_. Tears filled her eyes and streamed down her cheeks, her mistake was erased. She thought she had ruined his life by killing his eyes yet now they were back. What was driving a rift between them was now nothing more than a memory.

Itachi smiled as he watched the joy and happiness envelop Sakura's features. This woman who cared so much for him, for his well being, had changed the very fibre of his being.

Before all he saw was blood red hatred, now all he saw was _her_.

Hesitantly, as if an image stained in glass that may break with the slightest breeze, Itachi touched the delicate skin of Sakura's cheek. The strong feisty woman he knew revealed her gentle, feminine, emotional side to him on these rare occasions, and it took just the breathtaking sight of her to truly move him.

His large hand perfectly cupped her pink-tinged cheeks, and as if hypnotised into a trance she gracefully followed his movements, turning her cheek to kiss his palm, bringing her gaze to meet his.

Her own fingers traced his high cheekbones, gentle brow, and parted lips, till they skimmed up to trace the hollow circles underneath his eyes, the subtle crease at the edge and the slim almond outline. Leaning forward her lips pressed lightly against his close lids, as if blessing them for being there.

Pulling back, Sakura's fingertips lingered on his cheeks, the warm glow under her fingers keeping them transfixed. Itachi's eyes opened and his lips began to form the words; 'thank you', but Sakura shut her lids before she could witness it. Tears escaped from where her lids forced them out, and Sakura shook her head at Itachi, dropping it into her hands, unable to watch him any longer.

She didn't deserve any word of thanks, this was her fault to begin with, she caused this, it was absurd to be thanked for such a thing. If anything she was grateful to him for forgiving her, for not caring how she had harmed him. She didn't deserve this, she didn't deserve _him_.

The tears wouldn't stop; they fell and soaked the bed covers, and Sakura pulled back, not wanting to irritate Itachi with her excessive emotion. His arms swiftly and strongly wrapped around her, preventing her from moving, from leaving. The tears continued to flow, no matter how she willed for them to stop, down her cheeks and trickling along his chest, the silent sobs quivering her form.

"Don't" he whispered in her ear, quietly but firmly. Tucking strands of stray, rosy hair behind her ear, he kissed along the shell of her ear and continued; "I'm just happy I can see you again, _this-_" with reference to his last word, he brought his hand to her head, and stroked down her hair, then along her spine and around her body which was curled into a ball between his legs, to which he wrapped his arms full around and finished; "- in itself, is a blessing to me, no matter what, _you_ are a blessing to me".

And then he uttered the three most heartbreaking, most shocking, most painful, and the most wonderful three words she had heard before a thousand times over, but had never affected her in the way his did.

Sakura felt her whole world shatter in that instant. Everything she knew, everything she was, destroyed in a second, by this man with his arms around her, as if he would protect her come wind, rain or hell; and rebuilt all over again with him at its centre.

The tears now gushed down her cheeks, and an overpowering feeling bubbled within her chest, threatening to explode, she felt her heart would burst from beating to fast if she didn't do something to relive this crushing pain.

A surge of adrenaline pierced through her, and seeking relief, one arm clasped desperately onto his neck bringing him towards her, her other hand, caught onto his jaw as she grasped onto it, smothering her lips to his.

His body seemed to give a sigh of relief at her touch, as it relaxed as if natural order had been restored. He shifted to pull her onto his lap, one hand against the small of her back securing her slender waist against his and the other spread out at the juncture between her neck and jaw, stretching her plump lips up to meet his own.

Their lips moved seamlessly, almost languidly against each other, and when her tongue pierced through his lips, his features contorted into agony; this wasn't enough, he wanted, no, he _needed_ _more_.

His fingers fluttered along the hem of her shirt, debating whether to proceed or not. They were desperate to, but afraid to, just as Sakura had been earlier. Sensing this, Sakura reached behind, grabbing his hand, and boldly pulling it underneath her tops and against her bare body. She knew she was being brash at this moment, but she didn't seem to care anymore; not for the world she belonged to, not that this man she was totally in love with was a supposed criminal, and not that she knew she was officially screwed because it felt like she would die if he stopped touching her the way he did- and apparently Itachi didn't seem to care either.

His hand curved along her spine, and massaged the blades of her shoulders, before slipping down again to raise the hem of her shirt. Sakura didn't seem to mind, in fact she pulled her arms up to assist, then dropped them down again around his neck, tangling her fingers in his silky, black hair and gracing the pale skin of his neck with a flurry of red, hot kisses.

Instinctively, Itachi's neck arched back, desperately enjoying the delicious sensation. Her tongue felt like it was digging beneath his skin and through to the bone beneath, and every mark she left, burnt from the feel of her luscious lips. His fingers tightened against her toned back, pent up desire begging to be release. Wanting to give just as much as he was given, unrestrained fingers danced across her back, teasing the lining of her almost see-through, ripped camisole.

Seeing her arousal, he traced along the outline of her breasts before divesting her of her camisole and providing them the pleasure the deserved. Suddenly every nerve in her body was alive with fire, the sensation in her breasts was unbearable, and in a moment of mindless bliss, she accidently sucked his skin with her teeth, drawing blood. And though she was sure she was crazy and perhaps sadistic for thinking this, her gorged senses somehow couldn't help but think that he tasted _so damn_ _good_; better than even cherries.

Itachi groaned at the oddly sensual feel of beautiful pain shooting through his skin, and in an act to draw her warmly curvaceous body flush against his own, he pulled them so he was lying down, her half naked form seated atop his.

Their eyes meet and a sort of mutual recognition ran between them, they could hold back no more; it was inevitable, it was a carnal desire brought to fruition by a passionate romance shared between the two. And right now there was nothing in the world to them but the other; _everything_ else became _meaningless_, the brutal world of war, deception and murder was _nothing_ in front of the raging emotions flooding their systems, breaching their thought processes and making the impossible, _possible_.

Shifting of his trousers, their bodies pressed closer together. Sakura taking his warm hardness as an indication, rocked gently against him, and their bodies melded to each other's beat. Their bodies a hot tangled mess, moved faster and faster against each other; their minds ablaze with nothing but dirty thoughts, lustful passion, and mounting desires threatening to be released.

A powerful ecstasy shot through their core at the release of pent up sexual frustration. And the love they shared caused them to be gentle and rough at the same time, an indescribable fervour they had never felt before erupting between them.

Sakura cried aloud as hot white shot across her vision, her body convulsed against Itachi, and his fingers tightened around her waist, as impossible sensations overwhelmed him, unknown senses bursting to life.

Breathless and sweating, with the freezing cold rattling against the window and wind sweeping through gaps in the room, nothing could melt the ice in their hearts like the burn of the others soul.

It was an unhealthy obsession, a sinful encounter, a forbidden deed; but now the line had been crossed there was no going back, there was no return to the life of seclusion and redemption they had previously lived, now there was nothing but the here and now, and making their impossible nightmare, a _possible_ dream.

* * *

_**Omake…?**_

"Itachi, you did use a condom _right_?"

"Of course not, because you are on the pill _right_?"

"…"

"…fuck"

* * *

A/N; Uploaded with many editions (about 2000-word worth) and the omake(?) added. Next chap will be out when i get some sleep and my brain isnt mush pouring out my ears :)

Any suggestions for good blog sites?

Quote at the top is DBSK's-Love in the ice.

Reviews appreciated- Reira.


	24. Still Alive

_**Reminder; the last chapter ended with Itachi and Sakura finally consummating their marriage ;P**_

* * *

_**It may seem like I'm dying but I won't die**_

_**I won't avoid the eyes of others and hide**_

_**I may be obviously falling till the end but I'm alive  
But I have nothing more to lose so I put the past behind me and jump out**_

_**My deeply falling self is so beautiful right now  
I throw myself to the sky and I am free**_

_**At this moment, I am alive, I'm still alive**_

"Hmm, its nothing never mind"

"Ugh now that you wont say it, its going to bother me even more!"

He chuckled in response and Sakura couldn't help smiling as she felt his chest rumble with laughter beneath her cheek.

"Fine" she pouted, making move to turn away.

With the speed that belayed someone recovering from a recently comatose state, and not to mention the whole near-death-experince; Itachi caught her quick, wrapping his arm around her slender body, effectively gluing her back to his chest.

"I'll tell you" he smiled, ruffling her tousled pink locks spread out across her back "but...first I have something else to ask"

Pressing her palms to his chest and turning her face towards him, her emerald eyes sparkled with curiosity and her voice was softened to a sweet mellow-tone.

"What?"

His hands slipped from her hair and moved to trace invisible patterns across her back, but Sakura knew he wasn't blindly tracing, before he even had to ask she already knew his question.

"The names on your back..."

She sighed and Itachi shivered involuntarily as the cool air tickled the hairs on his skin. Intrigued by her seemingly weary response he titled her face gently upwards to read her expression.

Already a step ahead Sakura squirmed around and buried her face in the hollow between his slim neck and shoulder, effectively hiding her face from view, knowing full well she would be read easily thanks to his overly perceptive nature.

"Perhaps you don't wish to share" he began, pressing his lips to her forehead "don't worry about it then"

Sakura's heart clenched at his words as she remembered how honest Itachi had been during their time together, even during their Uno game he had answered her queer questions honestly.

Which reminded her...

"Before that, can I ask a question?" she asked timidly, conscious of how uncompromising she must sound.

His soft chuckle sent tingles down her spine as delicately kissed her hairline before replying.

"Of course, anything" Sakura's heart clenched a little tighter and for a second she spiralled off into her inner-emo, condemning herself for being such a difficult bitch; however she quickly recovered, knowing she needed to live this dream fully whilst it lasted.

"I know this sounds strange, but I've been wondering this for a while..." she began hesitantly "you once said your favourite colour was lilac why?... I mean I would understand something like red or black, or blue like the broody colours Sasuke seemed to favour, being all 'Uchiha-and-proud' but if you think about it judgementally its pretty girly, and your all..." she breathed deep, stroking her hand down his rock hard abs "man..."

Her anxious ramble to make sense of her strange question, trailed off as she sat up to watch Itachi's expression; his brows creased in thought before they smoothed at with his word "ah" as if remembering the incidence she was initially speaking of.

Sitting up also, he placed his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed them forward so she was lying on her stomach with her bare back to him, then using one slender finger he ran along the body of the intricate dragon and circled round the blossoms of delicate lilies.

"Because of this" he murmured against her milky skin, pressing hot, sweet kisses against the engraved lilac lilies.

His lips travelled from where the buds begun on the apex of her shoulders, to where they blossomed across the length of her back, to the soft curve at the end of her back where they wrapped around the dragons tail.

Sakura shuddered at his touch, arching her back in response, memories of the night before flashing through her nerves in waves.

"So that time..."she began shakily, her thoughts getting lost with Itachi's beguiling touch"...the first time...you saw...?"

Her breath caught as Itachi's wandering lips had returned to her neck to add a fresh mark to the already red trail from the night before.

His voice was deep and low, rumbling against her skin when he replied, "I did" he smirked against her neck "since the very first time I was captivated by you, _spellbound_"

Sakura's eyes closed and she felt her heart well in bliss at his sudden confession. A restricting weight seemed to lift from her chest, the chain-and-ball which had kept her emotions and restraint for hostage for so long, disintegrated completely in Itachi's overwhelming presence.

"The names..." she began and Itachi pulled back slightly, mildly surprised by her sudden willingness to answer. "They remind me of my ties, to each and every person important to me, if I were ever lose my mind I could never forget... each and everything I've been through, everything that makes me _me_"

"Sasuke..." he paused for a moment, thinking how to word his question just the right way "I thought you hated him?"

There was a moment of silence as Sakura let his words sink in; how was she to answer this?

"I do" she brought her legs to her chest, her back still facing Itachi "I really do" she repeated, squeezing her eyes tight, "but I cant deny the past..."

"You were team members, were you not?" his mellifluous voice prompted gently.

She nodded in response then added. "Surely even you remember the bond team members shared..." Itachi smiled solemnly, memories rushing back briefly.

"How could I ever forget?" Sakura couldn't help but hear the bitter-sweet, almost sorrowful tone to his voice.

"I even loved him at some point..." Sakura trailed off, not knowing why she was providing such unnecessary information, yet unable to stop the powerful sense of relief spreading through her like wildfire.

"But...?" Itachi prompted to her open ended sentence.

"But...shit happened" she began wistfully "real stinky shit" Resting her chin on her knee, then and there Sakura finally decided it was time to open up and face the harsh reality of it all, by finally regaling the bitter truth.

"It was another one of those stupid missions" Sakura began of her own accord, her tone resentful "Sasuke had been gone for a couple years at this point and for the first time in the last three-year list of failed missions, we finally found the bastard"

Shifting uncomfortably, Sakura couldn't help feel troubled as she began to tell something she had told no one else before, and because of this, because of keeping it in for so long, the memories were fresh and strong and affected her as if it had happened just yesterday.

"It was this large forest, I don't know why, maybe he was just sick of running away, but for once he stopped" she pause placing her hand on her chest "I'll never forget that moment, my heart dropped and I couldn't help but think ;'well, shits about to hit the fan and its gonna be messy as hell"

Leaning back in thought she continued "I think all of us at that moment realised it wasn't going to go well"

"You made a right bitch out of him, I'll give you that, because when he came at us there was nothing but blind hatred, not even for the breadth second did he stop, he just went for it"

She let out a shuddery breath, her body trembling and a light cold sweat began to break out across her skin, she leaned back shaky and unstable.

That was when she felt a large, warm hand spread across her back, steadying her, supporting her, edging her on without pressuring her and most of all; preventing her from falling backwards.

She smiled nervously, knowing that it was going to be OK, that no matter what this hand would always be pressed against her back supporting her, and she felt that for the first time her tragic story was relieving to tell, like a breath of fresh air after living in a dank, dark mouldy room for so long.

It gave her strength and power, and for once she was able to go on and tell the story till the end for the first time in her life.

Without a panic attack, without throwing up and without going insane like she always thought she one day would.

* * *

_There was blood everywhere.  
_  
_Splattered and sprayed, a red haze enveloping all.  
_  
_The screeching of blades clashing, the hiss of chakara, the thud of bodies colliding, the crackling of leather crisping, the shriek of chidori, the grating of heels across gravel, the scraping of skin again bark, the unbearable scream of jutsus classing, the pita-patter of rain; every insidious sound that assaulted the senses was ragging hell against their hearing.  
_  
_They were mad, each and every single on of them, fucking insane.  
_  
_They probably couldn't even remember what they were fighting for anymore...  
_

_Sakura had always been the softer one, the one who persistently believed that there was good in everyone no matter how deep it may be buried._

_Her best friends had always admired her for that unique quality; she learned to hate it, bury it, abolish it._

_Simply because it was the very thing which caused her to loose them._

_And it was all her fault._

_No matter how much she tried to blame him, she always knew it had been __**her**__._

_It was her fault for getting in the crossfire between Sasuke and Naruto, she should have know he would be able to defend, that with his rasengan h_

_e was the only one who could counter Sasuke's chidori._

_It was her fault for not being strong enough, for not moving away in time..._

_...for being so stupid, week, and paralysed by her own damned emotions._

_It was her fault Ino had to come in and defend her._

_It was her fault Ino had taken the blow for her._

_It was her fault Sasuke had put a large, gaping hole in Ino's torso, when it should have been in __**hers**__._

_It was her fault Ino had died._

_It was all her fault..._

* * *

The tears uncontrollable now.

Sakura had never know the feeling to be the responsible for something as major and as life changing as anothers death. That was until it had happened to Ino. It had changed everything about her, from the way she viewed life to they very person she was.

She had dimmed, hardened and life to her had become much like her sleep; _restless_.

She had never spoken, never told anyone, never really grieved... she had even believed she was incapable of doing so any more.

She had locked it all up, double bolted it, wrapped in in chains and anchored in to the very bottom of her heart, never to be disturbed again.

And it stayed there, untouched, unwavering; an intrusive, overpowering, heaviness, encroaching upon her soul. A hollow nothingness corroding away the very fibre of her being.

And bit by bit she flaked away till no one noticed any more, till she was nothing more than a shell.

Until someone came and found the key...

* * *

"When I saw that hole in her chest..." her sentences were rapidly becoming punctuated by sobs, her words cut of by the hasty intake of breaths "...I freaked" her hands twitched in remembrance, helplessly re-enacting the horrific scene "I tried, again and again, to pull it all together..." large hands closed around her own, holding her tight, but she was to far gone to notice "the feeling...right there...that your losing someone right in front of your eyes and you cant do _anything_..."

Her words stopped, for a moment Itachi worried she had stopped breathing for her whole body was still, her eyes wide.

"...I kept thinking this cant be real, please don't let this be happening, please don't take her away from me..." her hoarse voice pulled at Itachi's heart, as his feelings resonated with hers; he knew all to well the helpless feeling.

"I kept thinking that should have been _me_... I wanted it to be..."

Her body trembled all over, so delicate and frail, so small and precious she felt in his arms, and not for the first time in his life Itachi found himself loathing the unfair dynamics of this world, how only the ones that didn't deserve it suffered.

Itachi gently turned her body around, wrapping his arms around her, crushing her against his chest, whispering roughly in her ear;

"But it _wasn't_. You survived whether you like it or not" he paused, his voice darkening a notch "and it would be _**cruel**_ not to appreciate this life she has given you" he wiped away the tears streaking her cheeks with the palm of his hand "but to live life on the edge forever in regret... would she _really_ want that?"

"Who are you to talk!" she cried, her voice strained, the anger at his harsh words dissipated at their truth.

"Exactly" his voice was now soft as he moved to rest his forehead against hers "Its only because I understand these feelings so well, that I can say this"

His fingers now stroked the length of her cheek bones, the corners of his mouth lifting at her perplexed expression, his breath fanning across her cheeks as he spoke.

"You think..." he paused as if trying to contain some deeper emotion "You think it doesn't piss me off the way Sasuke is living now?" Sakura's eyes went wide in understanding, the connection becoming clear.

"After everything...I just wanted him to live a normal life, proud, strong and full of life... that's all_" _he sighed tragically, his gaze turning forlorn "...now he's just some...disturbed, emo kid, that killed his older brother whilst laughing manically" Sakura held back her smirk as Itachi rambled on, so unlike himself.

"...even now I still think I should have stuck a post-it note with the village's best psychologist's number onto his forehead before I fell unconscious, instead of the whole finger-thing"

Sakura laughed heartily, her whole body shaking with raucous laughter. Itachi's head snapped up, stunned speechless by Sakura's sudden change in emotions.

"You know what..." Sakura choked out in between fits of laughter "All you Uchiha should be born with a fucking psychologist chained to your wrists!"

As Sakura's words sunk in Itachi found himself cracking up along with Sakura, and the pair continued to laugh hysterically till they were gasping for breath and their stomach's ached.

Once Itachi could breathe again he settled back against the headboard of the bed, taking Sakura's small hands into his own.

"Life never turns out the way we want it to Sakura, but if we didn't sit and laugh about it like this, eventually we would all go insane-"

"Trust me Itachi we're all already halfway there" Sakura giggled "but then again, what's life without a little crazy?"

"Unbearable"

Sakura's head snapped up at Itachi's serious tone and she levelled him with a questioning look. He simply chuckled softly in that incredibly sexy way of his before responding.

"That's exactly what you are" the tips of his fingers trailed down her cheeks "my dose of crazy to keep me sane...now that I have you, I couldn't live without you" he smiled sullenly, knowing that the road ahead to keeping her was a difficult one.

"Itachi...I..." Sakura stammered, moved speechless by Itachi's words "I feel the same, before everything in my life was black and white, now you brought colour into my shades of grey...for the first time in so long I feel..._alive_"

"Now wouldn't Ino have wanted you to enjoy that? To appreciate the life you have to its fullest? Wouldn't she be disappointed to see how you've been hating it till know?"

"She always was such a romanticist" Sakura smiled sorrowfully, her heart filling with love and remembrance for her best friend. Silent tears slipped down her cheeks.

_Itachi was right, How would Ino feel?_

Her final words echoed loud in her head;

"_Live life for both me and you"_

Through the tears a smile broke through, and Sakura clasped her hands to either side of Itachi's face, his eyes widened in surprise but he remained stationary allowing her to express herself.

"You're right, absolutely right! What the hell is the point in the life if you don't _live_ it? Live it at 100mph!"

Without further ado Sakura literally pounced on Itachi, wrapping her arms around his neck, her legs locked either side of his narrow hips and her mouth glued happily to his sinful lips.

When they parted for air, Itachi's husky voice broke through the panting.

"And I take it, this is you living life at 100mph" he smirked against her neck.

"Babes I could go 150 if you want" she whispered darkly against his lips "or faster even..." she rasped against the cuff of his ear.

Itachi's smirk turned predatory, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her down under.

* * *

_**Omake;**_

Sasuke stormed angrily through the sorry-looking corridors of the sturdy but dilapidated inn amidst the snowy country.

He huffed in annoyance, his red-tainted vision returning to his palm which bore a dark, barely legible scribble of numbers.

"232...232...244...243...242..." Sasuke mumbled to himself like a person high on drugs. But right now his outward appearance to others concerned him little, he was a man with a mission.

...all that matter right then and there was the possibility that his brother may _still _be alive, and somewhere in this very building.

His gazed flickered around sporadically as his head whipped left and right, reading off the numbers on the door plaques.

He slowed down as he reached his destination, but paused once his hand had closed around the handle.

Surely it was a bad idea to go in unprepared?

So doing what any other person would do in such a situation, he pressed his ear against the wooden door, listening for signs of life or inhabitants within the room.

And what he heard was a little more life than he'd expected.

Sasuke cursed silently to himself, swearing that if the old man at the front desk had given him the wrong number, there would be hell to pay.

Because what seemed to be the current situation didn't quite seem like the older brother he knew.

But surely even _Itachi_ had _those_ needs...

He shook his head wildly, desperately trying to dissipate the poisonous thoughts of his _brother_ in bed, be it alone or not.

And yet when he pressed his ear to the door once again the panting, gasping and moans could be distinctly heard.

And if he listened hard enough he could just about make out cries of what sounded like;

"_Oh sweet mother off—Itachi!"_

That was it.

The door burst open and flew off its hinges as Sasuke barged into the room...

...only to behold his very much alive older brother and no other than his former team-mate _in bed_ _together_, doing what he would much rather _not_ see his older brother and former team-mate doing _together_.

Engraved in his brain..

Itachi.

And Sakura.

In. bed. together.

Doing it like they do it on the discover channel ;P

Tears of blood streamed down Sasuke's face as he willingly bashed himself over the head, into oblivion, with what he later found out to be, much to his intense horror, a box of unopened condoms which read "_cherry flavoured 3~_".

Somewhere far far away

"Hello and welcome to Dr. Phils psychiatry clinic, how may I help you?"

"... I would like to check myself in"

"For how long may I inquire?"

"...till I'm not deluded enough to willingly run back to Konoha and hand myself in just for the torture and interrogation..."

* * *

A/N; OH EM GEE FUUUUQ FORMATTING GRRR -_-

Seriously it all just fuqed up and i had to MAJORlY format EVERYthing all over again TT_TT

I dont think theres any point in going to sleep now since its so late at night... er... early in the morning?

i cant explain but for some reason like ALL the formatting dissappeared completely, so i had to space out lines and paragraphs alll ovvver again. So please keep it in mind there may be misplaced fullstops and such but IDGAF rn... later i promise to fix it all.

On another note, sorry for the majory delay, exams and such, but hopefully i shall be updating regularlly from now on (first tym in... 2 years?).

Thank u for all the reviews and following and EVERYTHING much appriciated! :D

Also thanks to Haleey for reading and reviewing each and every chapter!

Please bear in mind the Omake is not part of the actual story! just a bit of (admittedly dry) humour.

The lyrics at the top are BigBang 'Still Alive' =D

Follow me on twitter; ReiraShi, so i can get to kno my amaazing readers!

Btw for those interested ill be updating Clear Blue real soon (tomoz maybe)!


	25. Enough

**_"You think you've won this fight, you've only lost your mind"_**

The cover of night, which falls earlier in this wintery land than most other places, shrouded the sparkling white powder with a screen of darkness.

Still the sky and snow glittered in unison with each other, framing the pale walls with an ethereal midnight glow.

Sakura sighed contentedly. She wasn't sure how long they had been staying here exactly, and she knew she should be worrying about how things were back home, yet she couldn't help the overwhelming feeling of tranquility that had settled into every pore of her being.

She didn't know what exactly had caused it. Whether it was the peaceful, silent nights and the serene atmosphere, or perhaps it was finally opening her heart up to Itachi. She knew that on some level, the crying, the horror of reliving her memories, and finally just speaking about it, had ultimately helped to free her in some way.

She had thought all along she was free. That what she was doing, by drowning herself in assassination missions and cutting of all emotions and connections with others, was her taking control of her life, finally doing what she wanted.

She realised now it wasn't. In fact it was the complete opposite.

She also realised how thankful she should be to her friends, for sticking by her and not rejecting her due to her callous attitude towards their kindness and help. She had scorned them for pitying her, when really they were sympathising with her. Only now could she see that. It was selfish of her for acting in such a way, because Sakura wasn't the only friend Ino had had. She had many of them, people were drawn to her magnetic personality and it was wrong of her for not being the headstrong, reliable person Ino believed was her best friend, and supporting the people who had lost her.

But most of all she was grateful, to God, for allowing her to meet such a person as Itachi. She looked up at him now, his features a picture of true perfection, relaxed completely as he dozed lightly. Without him she would never have realised this, she would never have come to appreciate life, and most of all she would never have been able to experience true love.

She closed her eyes and silently made an overdue prayer, thanking the God she had once scorned for pretty much everything...

She thanked God for keeping her alive, to not punishing her for killing her best friend, to allowing her to meet Itachi.

She was grateful, and for the first time in so long she felt truly happy. She had finally come to peace with the person she had been at war with for so long; herself.

Stretching up, she placed a chaste kiss on the edge of his jaw, silently thanking him just for being there.

"Mm Sakura."

A smile lit up Sakura's face as Itachi's features scrunched up adorably as he woke from his slumber. She sighed inwardly, stroking the gentle curve of his nose.

How could anyone hate a man such as him? She mused Sasuke's preferences, coming to the only logical decision (apart from the whole clan killing thing) that his hatred must have been stemmed from the competition. Sasuke hated losing, and Itachi clearly was the sexier heartthrob.

During Sakura's mental ramblings Itachi had fully awoke and, pulling himself up, reclined against the headboard once more. After they had sex, almost always (unless they were up for another round), Itachi would wrap his arms around Sasuke, and they would snuggle up, Itachi drifting off into sleep. Sakura didn't mind whether she slept or not, she was contented to merely lie in his arms, watching him sleep or pondering the new directions her life would take, for it felt that upon meeting Itachi her life had been thrown into a whole new perspective, doors had opened which she hadn't even known had been there.

"It's dark already." Itachi's deep voice stated with mild surprise, a hint of irritation could be detected as if the faster the day ended the less time he had with Sakura.

"It's only six o'clock." Sakura chuckled at the childish pout Itachi wore.

Just then a sudden whim hit her, and Sakura grabbed Itachi's hands in excitement.

"Let's go out!"

Itachi switched his gaze to the window once more glancing out, then back to Sakura, a perplexed look crossed his features.

"Sakura, there's nothing but snow..." He regarded her as if she was going mildly insane due to the cold, even placing a concerned hand on her forehead "... I have no intention of freezing my extremities again, are you sure you're ok?" he questioned bluntly.

Sakura laughed once more, the tinkling sound only further confusing Itachi.

"Don't be silly," she dropped her voice to a hush as if she were telling the world's greatest and best kept mystery. "This isn't just a secret place frozen in eternal winter; this is a magical country waiting to be set free."

Bubbling with excitement she sprung up from the bed and, grabbing her clothes from the table, practically skipped the short distance to the bathroom, her pink tresses bouncing behind her, a cheerful spring to her step.

Itachi stared after her in disbelief, his incredible intelligence for once failing him as he watch her excitement in confusion, one thought kept revolving through his head. Did she just quote the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe...?

By the time Sakura had emerged from the bathroom, fully clothed in a deep, lavender Yakuta adorned with dark blue roses, and her long bubblegum hair in a messy high bun, Itachi too had dressed in his own Kimono.

Sakura appraised his appearance appreciatively, the midnight blue material with its bottom of silver threaded stars, swathed his figure perfectly. His tall slender form and broad shoulders made even the simple traditional-wear look like it was the most valuable item on the market, and his dark, raven locks brushing over his shoulder along with his handsome sculpted features only enhanced the untouchable aristocratic look.

It eased her self-esteem somewhat to see that despite his amazingness he couldn't get the belt on right.

Little did she know how breathtaking she appeared in Itachi's eyes.

"Here, let me do that for you." She smiled gently as the grey silk belt slid from his hands as she wrapped it around her palms, pulling out its full length and measuring it out.

Taking a step forward, her arms encircled his waist, meeting at the back to pull the belt around twice and knot it at the back. For a moment she struggled to tie the knot, her faced pressed tight against his chest as her fingers fumbled at the back.

It was odd, how they had relieved their mutual sexual attraction towards each other fully and whole-heartedly, and on more than one occasion, yet still, Itachi's presence held the same potency, if not more, as it had the very first time they had met.

She sighed somberly against his skin causing Itachi to shiver in reaction.

Would he ever be able to understand, just how much he means to me?

Unknown to Sakura, much the same thoughts were passing through Itachi's mind.

It was upon pulling back (with considerable mental reluctance) that Sakura noticed the familiar slim necklace balancing across long, firm collar bones, that Sakura was reminded of something familiar.

She gasped with remembrance, and it was such an abrupt interruption to the silence that had settled, that Itachi's features instantly contorted into those expressing worry.

This only further increased when Sakura stood back, and then began rummaging swiftly around the room, opening draws and rifling through the considerable amount of bags that had built up during their stay.

"Have you lost something?" Itachi questioned, mild concern seeping through his voice.

It took a moment for the words to register through the haze of searching in Sakura's mind.

"No...more like—found it!" Sakura's cheer could be heard from underneath the bed, amidst a plethora of bags, clothing and unsurprisingly food wrappers.

From the opposite side of the bed to which Sakura's legs were sticking out from, Itachi deftly pulled away the covers shadowing the space underneath the bed, and bent down to observe Sakura from within the tiny space.

"Sakura, at one point you implied the majority of the Uchiha clan require mental help- which is no doubt true- but the behaviour you are displaying right now..." Itachi stated dryly.

But the cheesy grin on Sakura's face could not be displaced, even as Sakura struggled and failed to dislodge herself from underneath the bed.

Itachi said nothing as he walked back over to Sakura's side and wrapped two hands around her ankles and carefully pulled the poor, delusional woman out.

He also said nothing as she stumbled upright, and began to spit pieces of carpet and dust from her mouth with an incredible vehemence. Though her disheveled appearance, disarrayed hair and violent spitting did seem to give her the likeness to a stray alley cat, and Itachi had to fight to stifle his laughter, which would no doubt arouse her fierce anger.

After much spitting and fidgeting and definitely stifling, Sakura's attention returned to the matter at hand. She tentatively raised her closed fist towards Itachi, as if it held something as delicate as a butterfly inside (which at this point Itachi was starting to speculate), and began to unfold her slender fingers one by one.

What was left behind was a small jade dragon, grand and majestic, peacefully curled up in sleep. Through a hole at the top of the miniature figurine was a long leather rope, to be used as a necklace.

Itachi stared down at the item in wonder, if he was confused before, well then now he was just plain...befuddled.

Sakura looked nervously between the amulet and Itachi, before deeming it necessary to explain.

"This is for you," she stated in a quiet voice.

Itachi made no move to accept, and Sakura felt compelled to explain further, yet her nerve betraying her as the words tumbled out helplessly.

"The guy said- at the shop- that con-con-confuck..sious...ss"

"Confucius?" Itachi supplied helpfully.

"Yeah! That guy! Well he said jade shows virtue and its polish represents purity and its perfect compactness the sureness of intelligence, and its sharp but smooth angles show justice, and its colour loyalty, its visible flaws sincerity, and... and its brightness heaven, and most of all the price that the world attaches to it represents truth..."

Sakura paused gulping a deep, hasty breath before continuing.

"Well, I guess what I'm trying to say, is to me, this," both their gazes turned to the jade piece in her palm "is you"

When silence greeted her proclamation she hastened on.

"You see, to me you're full of virtue and you're pure... I mean who else would kill their whole clan just to save their village, and you're incredibly intelligent that sometimes it scares even me, yet I know you have this unbelievable sense of justice and you're loyal through and through to what you chose, and you're sincere in everything you say or do."

Sakura paused taking another breath and when she started again her voice was soft and gentle, bearing a hint of hesitance.

"And when...when I'm with you I feel like I'm in heaven. Not only that but I feel like more than anything you represent the truth, in this fucked up world, in the middle of all the hate and the lies, you represent the truth in reality, the truth that all of us hide from, and though its painful to face up to it, without out it, without you, I wouldn't be able to surviv-"

Her words were abruptly cut of as Itachi's lips descended upon hers with such passion and ferocity like she had never seen from him before. She was pretty sure that for the duration it lasted, she had actually forgotten how to breathe.

It took a moment for her vision to refocus once they pulled apart, and if it wasn't for Itachi's hands intensely gripping her upper arms, then her legs would have long since given out.

Her gaze flickered up to meet his, wary of which emotion or lack thereof would be displayed there.

To her surprise his dark charcoal eyes were glazed over and staring at her with the most impassioned expression burning ablaze there.

"Thank you," he whispered hotly against her ear.

It took all of Sakura's sheer willpower alone to not jump him right then and there.

She laughed nervously, struggling to hold back the tears of happiness and elation that were desperate to burst forth.

"Let's get going, shall we?"

She slipped her small hand into Itachi's and their fingers twined almost naturally together.

* * *

The market-place was busy with the hustle and bustle of evening shoppers and despite cold, the atmosphere was warm and lively thanks to the feel of the festive season.

Sakura huddled closer to Itachi, not just for warmth (since the bundles of jackets and scarves Itachi wrapped her into to make sure she wouldn't get cold ensured she had enough), but simply because she loved the feel of being close to him.

Sakura was by no means an egotistical person, however she wished she could make it clear, scream it out to the whole world from the top of her lungs, that Itachi was her man.

Why? Because it would be like a slap in the face to every person that scorned her and called her cold and told her she would never find love, to Sasuke for doubting her capability, and most of all to every single person that labeled Itachi as a heartless, psychopathic bastard.

This, at the very least proved that he was by no means heartless, never mind the rest.

It was warm, gentle, comfortable, a lover's stroll filled up by idle small talk. Sakura had never appreciated the starts as much as she had when viewing them beside Itachi, and now, walking through the stalls, casually browsing items and shopping for supplies, felt so natural, so normal, that Sakura couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if this became her every day.

And yet as much as she could imagine, she wasn't naive enough to actually believe.

She knew this, whatever it was she had with Itachi, was fleeting. Not because they both wanted different things, but because they both acknowledged the reality.

A reality Sakura hadn't expected to smack her in the face so very soon.

But then again, Sakura had cursed fate many times, and perhaps this was it getting its own back.

"Yah, who would've expected things to shift in the shinobi world so soon"

"Yeah, sure makes you grateful to be living it out here in the safety of the Samurai country"

"Mou, but my son recently got married and went to live in Konoha... sure makes you worry..."

"Ah, same here, my brother-in-law also lives in one of the major shinobi countries"

"I just hope the civilians don't get involved this time round..."

Simultaneously Itachi and Sakura's steps came to a halt as the misplaced conversation drifted towards them from a group of commoners huddled together outside a bar, smoking as they chattered away.

Without even needing to make any hand-seals Itachi slipped into an inconspicuous henge. Sakura, despite being surprised by the swiftness of his actions, followed suit and slipped into an equally ordinary disguise.

"Excuse me, if you don't mind would you please repeat what you just said?"

Itachi's gentlemanly charm was impeccable.

Sakura could've sworn that even though 2 out of the group of 5 were definitely burly males, everyone in that group blushed the moment Itachi turned on the charm.

However, as charmed as they were, Sakura realised that not everyone understood Uchiha-speak as Itachi was accustomed to the people around him being able to. The poor boy really needed to get out more.

"Ah, what he means is that we too have family living there and are concerned..." Sakura smiled brightly, putting on her friendliest face from so long ago which she had used during her work in the hospitals.

Sakura's words appeared to lessen their confusion and placate them as one of the strangers heartily threw his arm around Itachi's shoulders, reassuring him in a friendly voice;

"I'm sure things aren't as bad as they seem. It's all just rumours at this point."

Sakura had to cough to mask her giggles as she watched Itachi visibly stiffen in discomfort as the large, bearded man, man-hugged him.

"Ah... even so, rumours or not, do you think you would be able to tell us what you know?" Sakura's emerald eyes narrowed in on the males within the group, catching eye contact and turning her expression innocent and willful, enticing their attention.

"You see..." Sakura brought her fingers to her lips delicately, closing her eyes and looking away as if what she was saying pained her. "We have been away for a long time, and were planning to go back and visit our families, but many people have been advising us against leaving..."

Itachi watched Sakura's flawless act in awe, amazed at the power of female wills. He didn't fail to catch her victorious smirk as her smooth lies were accepted without question.

One of the ladies sighed, stamping on the butt of the cigarette before reaching for the doors to the bar, and holding them open.

"You might as well come inside so we can talk properly."

...

"So what you're saying is there's talk of war between the five nations?" Itachi questioned the table of strangers providing them with information.

Sakura watched his expression crease into one of confusion and contemplation, and she couldn't help but agree with his stance on the situation. It was true that what these people had been saying to them didn't add up. The five nations were under an agreement, it would take something seriously major to throw them into something as repercussive as war.

"Well there is another rumour," all heads at the table turned to the black-haired woman who had been silent during the entirety of their conversation.

Sakura regarded the woman with curiosity, her appearance and complexion different from the supposed friends at the table. Her dark hair was pulled back and hidden underneath a white bandana, she wore dark slacks and a maroon woolen turtle-neck, whereas women in this country normally wore kimonos and skirts or loose trousers despite the cold. Her skin colour was probably what gave her away; she was darkly tanned, not from genes but from intense sunlight.

And that could only mean one thing; she had come from Suna.

She didn't seem to be a shinobi but more like a civilian-recently-turned-refugee. Her gaze shifted to Itachi and she could tell he had already recognized the same things she had, and was probably thinking similarly to her; that this woman right here was probably the most reliable source they were going to get.

"People are saying that it's not the five nations that are at war but..." She paused, biting her lip as if unsure whether or not she should reveal such information. She turned to Sakura with an uneasy expression, and Sakura responded by reaching for her hand over the table, urging her to proceed with a sort of desperation alight in her eyes.

The woman looked away, unable to face the anxious pair whom she could tell were more than they seemed. She couldn't help but feel guilt at being the bearer of bad news.

"They say it's an outside source." She whispered, her voice almost impossible to hear over the babble of the bar. "Some guy named...Mad... Maida...Madao..."

"Madara." Sakura and Itachi both hissed simultaneously as all the pieces seemed to fit together.

Sakura's head fell to her hands, but Itachi kept his calm, politely asking the lady if she knew anything more.

"Well... they also say there's this really strong kid as his sidekick from one of those famous, mighty clans with bloodline limits. His name is something like Sasu... Sasu... Sasugay...?"

Well, Sakura made no move to correct that.

However this news was perhaps more damning that the first bit. Deep down Sakura knew Itachi had been hoping that his wayward brother would have been found when unconscious after their fight, and taken back to Konoha instead of somewhere else. In Itachi's eyes this was the worst possible scenario.

His fist came slamming down on the table, and everyone around it fell into a stunned silence as a spider web crack snaked out from where Itachi's fist lay on the solid oak table.

Sakura turned to Itachi, curling her fingers around his closed fist and pulling them back from the table before he split them in half.

Sakura thanked all the people at the table, most of which were still shocked at Itachi's little outburst. She then linked her arm around Itachi's, and lead him swiftly out of the bar and towards a shadowed alley way before Itachi's henge broke with the intense anger rattling though him.

His fist shot out and hit the large building in front of him before he could even think twice about it. It was lucky Sakura had been there for she had to swiftly apply a large amount of chakara to counteract Itachi's punch of sheer force and prevent the entire building splitting apart.

"Damn it..." Itachi hissed, leaning his back against the wall and sinking to the floor.

Sakura couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of self-loathing and depreciating thoughts were running through Itachi's head at that moment.

She sighed giving Itachi a moment to collect himself, before bending down in front of him and clasping his fingers in her own, she moved closer, speaking in soft tones.

"Have some faith Itachi, I'm sure Sasuke isn't stupid enough to give himself over to someone like Madara. He has more common sense than that..."

"You're right, he won't give himself over to someone like Madara." Itachi lifted his eyes to meet hers, deep charcoal burning with determination. "Because I'm not going to let him..."

* * *

A/N; Thank you to clueless788 for betaing for me! What would i do without u! She literally spent an hour doing this then it was done (whilst i played Skyward sword in the bkgrnd leisurely ;P) i was amazed at how fast it was done when usually this is the reason i take so long to update!

Also if ny of u want any Gintama fic beta-ed shes the best!

So hopefully ill finally be updating regularly now, the next chaps almost finished then i just need it betaed and viola! My goal is to get this done before the end of summer fingers crossed XD

Kay advertising time! For those who love Gintama me and Clueless are doing a 3-Z collab so chek it out!

The song lyric is Had Enough by Breaking Benjamin ;)

Question to my reviewers; Whats the best Drama you ever watched?

Mines got to be 'The Greatest Love', so adorbs x)

Me on twitter; ReiraShi


	26. A Thousand Years

_Song; Huh Gak- Dont forget me._

* * *

_**If there's only one person who loves you in this world**_

_**Then it's me, remember it's me**_

_**Don't forget me, even if I live for one second**_

"Sakura... come"

Snapping out of her daze, Sakura's eyes flickered to Itachi, regarding him questioningly for a moment as she tried to recall what he had just said to her.

As if on auto-pilot Sakura rose from her seat by the window, and walked towards Itachi, her attention clearly not one hundred percent there.

Long fingers slid along her jaw, tilting her chin upwards and forcing Sakura to look towards him.

"Sakura" Itachi whispered, drawing her attention, knowing her focus was clearly elsewhere.

She seemed to come out of it half-heartedly, for her gaze slid towards his lethargically, her eyebrow raised expectantly.

Itachi couldn't help but feel his heart clench as he fully understood the reason for her spacing out, and yet couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible for it.

"Don't" He whispered against her ear.

Her clouded gaze slid away from his, her body slowly taking a step back.

Itachi sighed, raking a hand through his hair. Sakura couldn't bear to face him right now, because she knew the distressed, tired expression would only further break her heart.

She didn't want to do this to him, she wanted to face him with all the strength and vigor and even the coldness of the famed "frozen blossom" just to make it easier for him even by a little bit.

When had she become so attached?

She wanted so bad to be strong, yet she felt if she turned to him every fiber of her being would fall apart, like she wouldn't be able to pull herself together again once she let go.

Because she _knew_, rather than the first time they separated, this, _this_ was really _it_.

Because fate was never kind enough to let her keep her soul mate once she had found him.

And she had known and been prepared for this from the start, but no matter how much she forced herself to move on, to accept, to act blasé, she felt like her heart was being ripped out, _all over again_.

But why, why was it so hard this time? Why did it feel like even if she knew the bullet was going to hit her regardless, she couldn't stop herself from feeling it?

Why did she always want to cry when she was around this beautiful, damned man?

"Please"

His hoarse whisper was like twisting the knife in her heart, and she squeezed her eyes shut, clenched her fist, desperately trying to block it all out.

Just as she stepped backward, her body came flying forwards as Itachi pulled her down onto the bed, his tall form towering over her as he pinned her down.

"Look at me"

His eyes were almost black, and his eyebrows were knotted together as if in anger, his delicate lips frowning bitterly, his teeth biting the edge.

Sakura turned fully to face him, her fingers instinctively reaching up to trace along his cheeks without her permission. They craved the feel of him, his skin under her fingertips that may never feel this again.

Itachi wasn't angry. Itachi, by nature was a gentle person. He almost never felt anger unless it was something that truly affected him or the ones he loved.

But he had learnt to mask his sadness and hurt with anger over the years, because he felt them so often that he couldn't expose his weakness to others like that.

_How could anyone call this man heartless?_

Sakura's lips parted to speak, but when no words came out, she could only take in a shaky breath, a mere step away from a sob.

She gazed into his dark eyes and all the memories from the day she met him, all the adventures he had put her through, seemed to rush back and she couldn't help but smile sadly at the journey they had taken together.

"Don't…"*

He began but was unable to finish, his breath caught in his throat.

"I won't…"

Sakura replied, cupping his face with her small hand, gritting her teeth against the emotion willing to burst forth as he turned his cheek and kissed the soft of her palm.

Her eyes closed and she imagined for a moment opening them to not see this man before her.

She gasped silently, biting her lip and she willed herself to gain control.

She felt something wet against her palm, and opened her eyes curiously. A tear rolled down her palm, and fell against her cheek, running a path across her jaw and soaking the bed cloth as her own tears joined it.

_**My heart is only for you**_

_**Only for that, I hide my sad tears**_

_**When I leave, please don't forget me**_

It took longer than necessary for Sakura to pull the buttons on her jacket together, it was more difficult than usual to pull her hair into its simple bun, and for some reason she couldn't even get her shoes on right.

She felt her heart beat faster as the stream of light crawling in through the lone window, extended and expanded in the room, brightening it slowly as the dawn passed all _too _fast.

It was the first clear, sunny day since their arrival in this desolate land.

Her fingers shook as she fumbled with the laces on her new boots, the knots she tied just wouldn't stay.

She almost cried in relief as she felt a hand wrap around her waist. Gladly she let go of the boot, allowing her foot to slip of the edge of the bed to the floor.

She felt those familiar, sinful, torturous lips, kiss gently along the nape of her neck, traveling along the edge of her jaw, and slowly carefully moving to her lips as titled her head sideways.

Desperately, she fought to hold her self back, her body desperate to feel that warmth, that security just _one last time_.

She almost cried in relief when he murmured against her ear.

"Is there time…?"

She smiled, turning her head to look at the non-existent watch on her wrist before turning back to him.

"For you there's _always_ time…"

_**Please don't forget me, even if I live a thousand years**_

_**I'm the fool that only loves you**_

_**I envy your cell phone so much**_

_**Because it's by your side even now**_

_**Don't forget me ~**_

* * *

A/N; *Btw here he isn't saying "Dont" in reference to her smiling, i ws afraid it may come of that way.

I know alot of this doesnt make sense right now, but hopefully it will in the next chapter :)

Ah i cant believe its almost the end! I wonder if i will make it by chapter 30? Is it wishful thinking to say i want this done before new years?

Anyway thanks so much for all the lovely reviews, and if u have any questions feel free to ask :)

As for the question by my lovely reviewer Ell-002, er Satchi is in Konoha right now, whether or not she (or was it a he?) survived is to be revealed ;D

Also a thanks to DemonicismIsMe awesome omakes, seriously had me laughing :3

**Warning Manga spoiler**

Lastly, with recent developments in Naruto i hope its ok if i dont stick to the original plot line, cuz lets face it, im already waaaaay of track, so for connivence's sake Tobi and Madara are still one and the same.

Do u guys want a fight scene or not, cuz it was just gna stick to Sakura's perspective from here, or do we want a bit of ItaKisa banter?

Reira~


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